You know how we love to champion the new. The peeps at The Spirit of the Black Dress are calling for Fashion and Textile designers to enter their 2010 exhibition. You may be one of ten new designers selected to have your work on display as part of this year’s L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival. We hear last year’s event was quite a shindig!

Applicants will be assessed on originality, silhouette an texture, and most importantly MUST use ’sustainable’ principles… a big plus in our books and an opportunity to research what this can mean! For your application form, rules on sustainability and prizes visit www.spiritoftheblackdress.com.au

But get your skates on… entries close 5pm on Friday 12 February 2010

The Spirit of the Black Dress

Fashion Festival has come to a reluctant close, and Shopgirl couldn’t be happier with the talent and creativity presented by some of our favourite designers. We were lucky enough to be represented on the judging panel for the student award as part the Metamorphosis showcase. Our favourites included Sarah Schofield’s laser cut rose leather and Sarah MacDonell’s mastery of woolen textures, however at the end of the day it was the incredible Michelle Czech who stole our hearts with anemone like structures and voluminous dresses.

Not only does Shopgirl love finding new talent, we’re also devoted to our old favourites. Inspiring shows from Maus Cat Berlin, Ellery and Kostantina Mittas had us all teary eyed, as if we were watching our own children grow up and head off into the world!