The supreme winner of the 2018 WoolOn Creative Fashion Event, Andre Johnston, of Gore, celebrates her success after the Saturday awards show in Alexandra. Photo: Pam Jones
The supreme winner of the 2018 WoolOn Creative Fashion Event, Andre Johnston, of Gore, celebrates her success after the Saturday awards show in Alexandra. Photo: Pam Jones
Gore designer Andre Johnston has won the supreme award at Central Otago's WoolOn Creative Fashion Event with a hand-embroidered dress that took hundreds of hours to make.
Johnston (37) said she was "overwhelmed" by Saturday night's win. It was the first time she had entered the show, although she hadentered a different version of the event more than a decade ago.
"Tweedle Dee", by Becs Calder, of Omakau, winner of the collections category.
Also the supreme winner of the Hokonui Fashion Design Awards two years ago, Johnston said she worked hard to juggle her time designing with caring for her two children aged 6 and 8, and working at a jewellery store in Gore.
She said she loved working with wool, and took inspiration from overseas trends.
She had spent about 300 hours creating her winning "For the Love of Spring" garment, a one-shouldered drop-hem dress featuring cross-stitch which won the hand-crafted category of WoolOn and was then named supreme champion.
Sophie Mathias, of Alexandra, models Gore designer Andre Johnston's winning garment "For the Love of Spring".
Johnston, who has a bachelor of fashion and design degree from Otago Polytechnic, has been designing for about 20 years, having started sewing as a child, taught initially by her mother Viv Tamblyn, also of Gore.
Tamblyn, also a well-known designer, won the supreme award at WoolOn last year, and was the first to congratulate Johnston on her win on Saturday night, while standing on the stage as a category winner herself.
"Perfection in Pink", by Viv Tamblyn, of Gore, winner of the streetwear category.
