The Australian Wearable Art Festival (AWAF), staged on the Sunshine Coast 8-9 August, showed how clever designers can use recycled materials to create stunning garments that tell a story and excite the eye.
Now in its fifth year, AWAF is unique in the Australian sustainable fashion space because 80 per cent of the materials used by its chosen designers are recycled, repurposed or salvaged.
This year Gympie-based Cindy Vogels, famous for designing for Lady Gaga and ‘dressing the music’ headlined the festival with the opening event.
Designer Cindy Vogels IMAGE: Brea Martin
Vogels’ Future Fragile collection, crafted entirely from salvaged and recycled materials, was a striking reflection on environmental vulnerability and a feature performance opening each of the festival’s four events.
Future Fragile repurposed fluoro yellow materials from sign-writing banners, high-vis safety wear, nylon parachutes and fishing gear rescued from landfill by Reverse Garbage.
Applying her artistry to these remnants, Vogels created seven vibrant garments blending Victorian period costumes with futuristic themes.
IMAGE: Barry Alsop
‘The works explore themes of environmental fragility, particularly through the lens of bees and pollinators ─ symbols of life, transformation and ecological urgency,’ she said.
‘Sustainability, symbolism and story are all stitched into this collection.’
‘Special thanks to Michelle Levings aka GLVES, for the stunning original soundtrack that elevated our message so perfectly.
‘Donna Maree Robinson created the beautiful original visuals.’
Vogels, known for championing regional talent through her fashion and music collaborations, used her event to showcase seven young people who had never modelled before.
‘I put the word out for four enthusiastic young people from Gympie to cast for a wearable art collection and seven amazing young people turned up at my studio,’ said Vogels.
‘I couldn’t say no to any of them, so I committed to creating a much larger collection with limited time.’
The Future Fragile collection featured young people modelling for the first time. IMAGE: Barry Alsop
‘These young people aren’t just walking in a show: they’re embodying a message about caring for our planet.’
‘It’s not a funeral march for humanity. Future Fragile is about hope and creativity in a climate changed world.’
IMAGE: Barry Alsop
Hope was a common theme for many of the 35 artists from Australia, the USA, New Zealand, Romania and Bali performing collections in the categories of Avant-Guarde, Trashion, Elements of Nature and Abstract Form.
Rosamund Torr’s After the Fire portrayed a lone figure moving through a landscape charred by bushfire, her legs depicting burned trees while the fresh green leaves on her gown represented hope, growth and renewal.
IMAGE: Bernie McKay
Some performances had a more elegiac feel.
Ruthie Parnell’s exquisite gown made from recycled chip packets and silver materials rustled magically while the audience reflected on Edgar Allen Poe’s poem The Raven saying ‘nevermore’, suggesting we must reduce waste before our world is lost.
IMAGE: Bernie Mckay
Stephanie Vale’s lone dystopian figure wore a woven gas mask and garments crafted without electricity and with fibres sourced within 5k of her community. The piece demonstrated the connection to land needed to survive on earth when most of humanity has gone.
IMAGE: Barry Alsop
Other pieces were more playful, such as Jeanette Stok’s sculptural garment made completely of gutter guard and garden ties.
IMAGE: Vivienne Wynter
Antoaneta Tica from Romania used thousands of hand-cut plastic packaging pieces to make a statement on how plastic was a revolution in innovation and now threatens the planet.
IMAGE: Bernie McKay
Sunshine Coast husband and wife team, Evita Camilleri and Dan Draper (known as Derby Cross), took home the festival’s Supreme Winner award for their work titled Fractilians II (Salt), at the Gala Awards night.
IMAGE: Barry Alsop
‘This work is made entirely from cut clear tubing and 56,000 cable ties with every single element hand-shaped and placed,’ said the artists in a joint statement.
‘The piece is part of our Fractilians series – fictional subterranean spirits whose forms are shaped by the harsh conditions they live in. They’re hunters and their armour is crafted from salt crystals, arranged in intricate fractal patterns as both camouflage and protection.’
Event judges, Rachel Burke, Natasha Smith and Svenja said Derby Cross’s piece stood out as a masterclass in innovation.
‘What impressed us most was the dedication to one material, pushed and transformed through so many different techniques. It’s an incredible demonstration of skill — turning something rigid into something fluid, kinetic and sculptural,’ Ms Burke said.
The AWAF 2025 aimed to ‘re-define the runway’ with each piece choreographed with custom lighting, music and movement, allowing artists to co-create the atmosphere and story behind their work. This approach made a fashion event into more of a theatrical experience and a dazzling spectacle that electrified the audience for three hours.
IMAGE: Vivienne Wynter
All the models were mesmerising and while one model did fall right off the runway, she got one of the biggest claps of the night when she quickly recovered and gracefully continued.
The festival was co-created by Wendy Roe and Helen Perry and this year each of its four events were close to full houses.
Festival co-director Helen Perry. IMAGE: supplied
Ms Roe said she was proud to see the festival gaining momentum as both a creative force and a cultural voice for change.
Festival co-director Wendy Roe IMAGE: supplied
‘Australia is one of the world’s most significant clothing consumers importing over 380,000 tonnes each year, but we are equally one of the largest fashion polluters with over 200,000 tonnes of this fashion ending up in landfill.
‘AWAF is proud to be inspiring people to look at fashion differently and choose to perhaps repurpose or upcycle before discarding.’
Future Fragile IMAGE at top of story by Vivienne Wynter
