Feathered fashion

Otago Museum provided warm welcoming hospitality on a cold autumn evening for the Novadown Fashioned Feathers Wearable Art Show as guests mingled before the show sipping on tasty cocktails and looking at pieces made by the designers…

Otago Museum provided warm welcoming hospitality on a cold autumn evening for the Novadown Fashioned Feathers Wearable Art Show 2010.

Guests mingled before the show sipping on tasty cocktails and looking at pieces made by the designers to be auctioned off later in the show.

Fourteen members of the public spent many hours and much creativity to produce their pieces for the show. Each piece had to use feathers within the design.

A colourful piece by Senorita Awesumo called “Te Aniwaniwa Manu” really appealed to me. It was a vibrant mythical creature which bought some magic into the show and gained the designer the Creative Award prize.

Kiwiana was introduced by Hannah Fitzgerald. Her piece was called “Pavlova”. Her attention to detail was amazing. I really liked the kiwifruit patterned gloves.

The runner up was a piece by Sarah Louise MacDonald named “La Plume en rose by eighteen forty-five”. The colour pink and feathers represent elegance and femininity. The colour deepened progressively down the length of the dress.

Judges Jane Patterson from The Asthma Society, Sue Smaill of Arthur Barnett and Guest designer Margi Robertson of Nom*D awarded Aahmes Quince the Fashion prize and overall winner of the event. “Angels or Ghosts” (pictured in intro image above) was eerily beautiful. It was made in memory of Aahmes’ father’s first wife who died of asthma. The detail was amazing and the angels or ghosts adorning the piece seemed brought to life.

Finally a charity auction by designers provided some entertainment for guests. Pieces were donated by Amy Jensen, Linda Lobb of Novadown, Michelle Yvette, Laura Marshall, Basquesse, Ketz-Ke, Jane Sutherland and St Clair design. The public were generous and all proceeds went to The Asthma Foundation.

It was an enjoyable event which is gaining in popularity, and shows how much feathers can bring fun and frivolity to wearable art.

By Kirsty Macdonald, April 2010.