Frock on

Student’s dress a “cut above” the competition

Sarah-Jo Huber
Public relations editorial intern
Avondale College of Higher Education
Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia

An Avondale College of Higher Education student has won the Higher School Certificate Encouragement Award for a dress she entered into a Hunter fashion competition.

One of the judges at Frock On! Newcastle describes Chanelle Lassila’s dress as a “cut above” others in the category. “It was beautifully cut, expertly cut,” says Kelly Heaney, a dressmaker specialising in bridal couture. “It looked as though she’d dyed it all by hand, too.” Not once, but twice.

Chanelle used bi-strip appliqué, free-motion embroidery, silk fusion and twin-needling to make the dress. Its features rosettes sewn onto the top front and the phrase, “I love you,” printed in different languages down the side of the dress. “I have a graceful, feminine theme,” says Chanelle, who is completing a Bachelor of Arts in visual arts.

She describes her Avondale experience as increasing her self-confidence. “Mum taught me in high school, and she lives in Newcastle so I still ask for help, but now I’m solving problems myself.”

Chanelle’s passion for sewing is rare, says casual academic lecturer Michelle Villis, who is teaching Chanelle in the unit, Designing With Textiles, this semester. “It’s an advantage because you’re more likely to explore and to work more independently.” Michelle notes Chanelle’s growth as a designer. “She’s forward thinking and her assessment tasks are well planned and constructed.”