A young fashion and bag designer has scooped a $10,000 fashion industry award.
Danielle Krémer won the honour for her innovative business plan for her women’s bag range, 'Lift'.
By winning the 2011 NSW Business Chamber Textile, Clothing and Footwear (TCF) Industry award, she will receive a $5,000 cheque and $5,000 of in-kind support from the NSW Business Chamber - specifically to invest in the launch of her range.
“I am so excited and honoured to win the award, it is such an amazing opportunity to establish myself within the industry,” Krémer said. “The designs are inspired by men’s carpenters bags which are very clever in their functionality - I wanted to integrate this kind of functionality into bags for women that are also well-crafted, aesthetic and made with luxury materials.”
Her collection will consist of three styles – Stay, Play and Away – in a new take on handbags for women.
Course director of the University of Technology Sydney's (UTS) bachelor of design in fashion and textiles course, Cecilia Heffer, said the students are 'extremely fortunate' that the NSW Business Chamber has such a good partnership with the UTS.
“NSW Business Chamber members in the TCF industry act as mentors and guest lecturers for students in their final year, preparing them for the challenges of business once they graduate,” Heffer said. “We are expecting great things for Danielle, as she follows in the footsteps of a number of successful UTS graduates and previous winners of the TCF award including Becky Cooper and Bridget Currer, whose popular Bec&Bridge fashion label is stocked by major Australian retailers.”
The award is open to final year UTS students completing their bachelor of design in fashion and textiles who undertake the business planning course at UTS.
In addition to her bag range, Krémer also completed a fashion collection that will be modelled in the UTS graduate fashion show on December 6.