Fleece to Fashion on parade at Armidale

Based in the New England region of NSW, the Fleece to Fashion Awards is an annual competition that promotes the unique, versatile and sustainable qualities of Merino wool, while celebrating fashion designers from across Australia who embrace the fibre in their collections.

The Awards are run by Fleece to Fashion, a community-based not for profit company in Armidale that aims to educate and inspire the next generations of designers to continue to experiment and explore the many qualities Merino wool has to offer. The Awards are sponsored by AWI along with local businesses and woolgrowers.

The Main Pavilion of the Armidale Showground was the venue for this year’s Fleece to Fashion Awards which were held on 16 November. Hosted by AWI Program Manager - Education Extension, Kelly Mcavoy, the event was a hugely successful gathering for woolgrowers, fashion designers, the New England community, and wool industry stakeholders. Rams from Shalimar Park Merino Stud were also on display to highlight the natural source of Merino wool fibre.

AWI Industry Immersion award

Winner of the AWI Industry Immersion Award Angelica Kilkolly (centre) with models wearing the winning wool garments. From the left: jacquard knit jumper and skirt, twisted knit maxi dress and rib knit bolero, intarsia knit cardigan, and punchcard knit tracksuit set.

After a parade of wonderful wool designs in front of a packed venue, the highlight of the night was the presentation of the Supreme Award of the competition, the AWI Industry Immersion, to young Sydney-based designer Angelica Kilkolly.

The AWI Industry Immersion will this year take place in Tokyo and Seoul where Angelica will receive a complete wool supply chain induction, dive into wool manufacturing and learn about the vibrant fashion and retail landscapes of Japan and South Korea.

Graduating at the end of 2023 with a Bachelor of Design in Fashion and Textiles from University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Angelica has a love for knitwear exemplified by the range of techniques used in her winning designs – see the above image.

“It has been such an incredible opportunity to come to Armidale and connect with the welcoming community at the heart of our wool industry. It’s so inspiring to witness firsthand the passion and dedication behind this incredible, natural resource.”

Angelica Kilkolly

“I love working with wool because of its properties, versatility, and sustainability. As designers and consumers, it's essential that we consider the environmental impact of the clothing we create and wear. Wool, being renewable, biodegradable, and requiring fewer resources to produce compared to other materials, is a perfect example of how fashion can embrace both innovation and sustainability,” Angelica said.

Since graduating, Angelica has tutored at UTS and is currently working as a seamstress/designer at Australian made sustainability label Re/lax Remade. In March last year, Angelica attended AWI’s Incubation Lab workshop for emerging Australian and New Zealand fashion designers.

The Supreme Award was presented to Angelica by AWI General Manager, Processing Innovation & Education Extension, Julie Davies, who was very impressed with the level of design talent entering the Awards.

“It is fantastic to see at these Awards such an exceptional showcase of the potential of Merino wool in fashion and textiles,” Julie said.

“Having this type of event in Australia where the wool is grown with passion, and seeing the students design with passion, is very inspiring. The message I always give to young designers in Australia is that the best wool comes from your nation, treasure it, nurture it and push it out to the globe so others can truly appreciate this incredible fibre.”

Awards nurture the next generation

The Fleece to Fashion Awards were judged this year by Australian fashion designers Akira Isogawa and Jonathan Ward, and AWI’s Business Development Manager - Fashion and Product for Australia and New Zealand, Clementine Hurley.

The Awards were open to three categories of designers: established designers, tertiary students and secondary school students. As well as awards for each of these three categories, there were also ‘innovation awards’ for knitted and crochet creativity, colour and dyeing technique, use of sustainable processes, cutting edge design, use of recycled/re-purposed wool, and innovative use of wool.

In addition to the AWI-sponsored Supreme Award, the other major awards were the Akira Isogawa Mentorship award, the Fleece to Fashion Fostership award in honour of Fleece to Fashion founder Liz Foster, and a Wool Producer’s Pick award.

More information:
www.fleecetofashion.com.au
www.facebook.com/fleecetofashion

This article appeared in the Autumn 2025 edition of AWI’s Beyond the Bale magazine that was published in March 2025. Reproduction of the article is encouraged.