Fashion design is about exploring creativity, fresh ideas, styles and trends and conceptualising what first appears on paper into a fashionable and marketable outfit.

The Sothertons Fashion Design Awards is integral in providing budding designers the platform for future achievement in this exciting industry. This premier event on the Queensland fashion calendar offers designers, manufacturers and students from throughout the region a first class opportunity to showcase their talents and skills.

Award entrants are given the opportunity to hone their skills, showcase their creativity and flair, and learn from the exposure to competition and interaction with successful and accomplished industry professionals.

The Sothertons Fashion Design Awards for 2009 were launched on Friday evening at Scotties Bar and Restaurant.

The Awards provide an opportunity to showcase the talent that shapes the style and fashion trends of tomorrow as well as today. Launched in 2005, the event allows talented and innovative fashion designers to gain exposure as well as valuable experience in a competitive arena. Each year the Sothertons Fashion Design Awards has attracted a diverse blend of designers, who enter more than 200 garments in eleven categories, and benchmark their skills against their peers.

Over the life of the Awards more than 2,100 people have attended the event and over $67,000 has been raised for local charities.

The Sothertons Fashion Design Awards is a multi-tiered event that will be held over August 7 and 8. Preliminary judging, which is open to the general public, as well as designers, will take place on Friday, August 7, with finalists presented and announced at a Gala evening on August 8. The categories of awards are: kids wear; secondary student designs; students of fashion design; swim/surf/lifestyle; bridal; fashions on the field; evening wear; contemporary; wearable art; regional award and supreme design award.

2007 Event Facts and Figures:

Over 250 Garments were entered and shown at the Public Preliminary Parade.

80 finalist garments were chosen and paraded at the Gala Evening on Saturday.

Almost 500 people attended the Public Preliminary Parade on Friday night.

Seats were limited for the Gala Evening with tickets selling out well in advance. 370 people enjoyed the fashion, food, wine and entertainment.

The judges were very impressed with the quality of the garments entered and with the integrity with which the competition is conducted and organised.

Many local Gladstone designers made it through to the finals.

After the event, $25,000 was donated to the Tannum Sands Surf Life Saving Club Inc. which has been used to purchase a quad bike allowing the life savers to extend their patrol on our beach.

The awards

2007 Event Facts and Figures: