From rural reside to the runway!

From rural reside to the runway!

Ag Art Wear is back with an amazing assortment of art for the body for the upcoming 2009 New Zealand National Agricultural Fieldays. This competition is in its 16th year and brings farming to fashion, as all garments entered must be created from materials and products found on the farm. For the first time in Ag Art Wear history, a pre-show judging session has commenced resulting in 54 finalists with final judging to take place during the catwalk style shows held during Fieldays.

With the introduction of an exciting new category - Designer-Fibre and a new show layout, this sub-event of Fieldays is expected to make an impact! The Designer-Fibre category is one of five categories at the 2009 Ag Art Wear competition. Designs entered in this category must take a traditional and conventional approach with one important element –creations must be primarily made using fibres including fur, wool, animal hair and/or feathers. This category includes entries that would previously have entered the Possum Fur Fashion Design Awards, however the introduction of additional fibre options will provide designers the opportunity to mix, match and choose from a wider selection of materials. Ag Art Wear coordinator, Caz Wood says, “The Designer-Fibre category brings a new level of challenge to the competition. The entries we have received are exquisitely made and show a diverse use of fibres.”

Every year the Ag Art Wear competition receives entries from repeat designers including attracting the attention of academic organisations such as Matamata College and Te Awamutu College. The Raranga group at the Hamilton campus of Te Wananga O Aotearoa has incorporated Ag Art Wear into their curriculum for the last six years, producing eight winning entries and providing the Landcare section with delicately weaved flax designs which never fail to wow the audience.

The 2009 Ag Art Wear competition recently secured major sponsor, HRV, New Zealand’s leading home ventilation system to assist in good health for air purifying, asthma and allergy control. HRV are delighted to support the Ag Art Wear competition – the company has a proud heritage of innovation and good design. The company is a multi award winner – including the Deloitte Fast50 for New Zealand’s fastest growth company. Additionally, Snapshot Cameras, sponsor for the Under 21 section, have kindly supplied a Digital SLR Canon camera for the winner of this section. The Under 21 section is a great platform for promising young designers, and acts as a stepping stone toward the premier section, Avant Garde. Ag Art Wear is also proudly supported by the NZ Landcare Trust, Event Lighting & Power Ltd, Exhibition Hire Services, The Makeup Studio, Classic Hits, the Waikato School of Hairdressing and the Peoples Choice Award is sponsored by 4 Seasons Home and Leisure.

The New Zealand National Agricultural Fieldays will be held 10 - 13 June at Mystery Creek Events Centre, south of Hamilton. The Ag Art Wear shows will be held daily at 11am and 2pm in the Spantech Pavilion on E Street, with the winners announced at the 2pm award ceremony on Friday 12th of June.

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