Winning wool designs donated to museum

CHE BAKER

BEAUTIFUL CUT: Alexandra Blossom Festival chairwoman Clair Higginson and Central Stories Museum and Art Gallery director Brian Patrick admire the 2009 WoolOn Supreme Award winning design "metallica". It was created by Laurel Judd and donated to the museum by the festival committee on Wednesday.

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The Central Stories Museum and Art Gallery received a boost to its WoolOn collection this week after three award-winning designs from last year's show were donated to the museum's archive.

The Supreme Award, Knitwear and Youth Award section designs were presented to the museum on Wednesday night.

Museum director Brian Patrick said the museum began a collection of WoolOn designs to keep a lasting legacy of the fashion show.

The show, which highlights the creative use of wool, runs in conjunction with the Alexandra Blossom Festival.

The supreme award-winning garment, a woven gown titled "metallica", was donated by the Alexandra Blossom Festival committee, which had bought the design.

The design, created by Napier-based designer Laurel Judd, had a wow factor and was a superb example of art, Mr Patrick said.

The gown had taken more than four months to complete and Ms Judd was "absolutely thrilled" to have a second item placed into the collection after also winning the award in 2007.

Wool was her favourite material to work with because it was a natural product and it moved well with the body, she said.

She hoped to enter the competition again this year.

The 2009 Knitwear and Youth Award winning designs were donated after Alice Stewart and Mark Field, who bought the designs at the show. They decided the archive was the best place for the garments to be stored and shared.

Entries to the competition are required to contain more than 50 per cent wool.

This year the show would take on a naming sponsor, The Mirror, and will be held on October 8 and 9.

Entries to this year's event close on July 31.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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