Fashion chain Witchery has announced the winner of its inaugural Witchery White Shirt Design Award, as part of a collaboration with the Whitehouse Institute of Design, Australia.
The competition, which was open only to second year fashion design students from the Whitehouse Institute of Design, saw entrants create a white shirt intended for the 2013 Witchery White Shirt Campaign, which raises funds and the profile for Witchery’s longtime charity partner, the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF).
Second year student, Holly Moore, who has been studying at the Whitehouse Institute of Design since 2010, took out the top prize this week and will now be awarded a three month, paid internship at Witchery in Melbourne, and trip to Paris to encourage further fashion inspiration.
Moore's winning shirt will also be included as part of the Witchery 2013 White Shirt Campaign collection next year.
Witchery head designer for womenswear Paul Wreakes and the Whitehouse Institute of Design founder Leanne Whitehouse said Moore captured the brief perfectly with a classic design that encapsulated the Witchery brand for the OCRF cause.
“Holly had a considered and resolved design, which really captured the essence of Witchery - feminine, modern and ageless. The importance of this design transcends more than a just a shirt concept, this has the potential to save lives, and im looking forward to seeing this in our OCRF collection in autumn/winter 2013,” Wreakes said.
Whitehouse added: “Her design was crisp, with defined lines, fashionable, trend forward, and detailed with beautiful fabric. It’s an understated product that answers the brief perfectly.”
Moore, who spoke to Ragtrader exclusively this morning, said that while she is still awaiting the flight details, she will be using the Paris trip and the internship ahead to help her define her future career goals.
“The feeling of pride and accomplishment I felt when receiving the phone call yesterday was overwhelming. This challenge has inspired me to be a part of every opportunity given and has now cemented my place in the fashion industry. I have always dreamed of having a career defining moment, and I believe this is mine,” she said.
“Paris will also be my first ever trip overseas, so I'm really looking forward to it. I've heard good things and Paris is the ultimate destination for any designer, so I think it will be very valuable for my future in fashion design.
“I'm also looking forward to starting my internship with Witchery, because I know that those kinds of experiences can really give you a huge advantage and help you learn all aspects of the fashion design business. I've been interning with [Australian designer label] Bec & Bridge for the last year, and it's really helped me to learn. After that, and once I gain another three or four years of experience in the industry, I'm also hoping to start up my own label.”
OCRF White Shirt day, supported by Witchery, is a day where all Australians are urged to unite and wear a white shirt to support and raise the profile for the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF). One hundred per cent of gross proceeds from the Witchery White Shirt Campaign collection go directly to vital research by the institute. For more information, click here.