Caitlin Lee is pulling wool over the body of the fashion industry after one of her dress designs was selected to be modelled at the Australian Wool Fashion Awards.
Caitlin designed and created a dress as part of her year 10 design and technology textiles class.
Her teachers encouraged her to enter it in the awards and helped her with the finishing stitches to get it done in time.
It was the first time she had made clothing using wool however she admits to having a dabble with crochet under the watchful eye of her mum and nanna.
The dress needed to stick to an Under the Sea theme and Caitlin’s design featured felt fish and a mermaid on its hem.
The design was inspired by her own wardrobe and she had just one month to make it.
“It was a challenge but it turned out good,” Caitlin said.
“I didn’t have much time because the material I needed was sent out late.
“I only had one month and I felt like I wasn’t going to get it done,” she said.
Caitlin admits she might not wear the dress to events on a regular basis, however she looks forward to seeing it on a model at the Wool Fashion Awards.
The awards will be held in Tamworth next week and Caitlin will travel with her mum Glynnis to see her dress on the catwalk along with other the finalists in the secondary school category.
This is the most entered category of the awards.
As a year 10 student, she is not eligible to win however she is excited to gain the experience and be part of the event which will feature national and international fashion designers as well as students from top fashion design schools.
“Being in the final is a compliment in iteself,” Caitlin said.
She hopes that being a finalist in the awards this year will help get her name into the fashion industry.
Caitlin’s plan is to continue studying textiles as a Higher School Certificate subject then try to get into fashion school.
Eventually, she would like to create her own lable with a focus Australian made affordable clothing.
