15 November 2021
Our fashion student Makayla Parr was announced as the winner of the Wearable Art Mandurah Youth 13-18 years category for her ‘ATAR Stressball’ design this month.
The Wearable Art Showcase is a highlight of the annual Mandurah Arts Festival, first established in 2011 the event has grown to feature a total of 13 categories.
As part of our VET Delivered to Secondary Students program, the Year 12 student from Mundaring Christian College attended our Perth campus one day a week during Year 11 and 12 where she undertook a Certificate II in Applied Fashion Design and Technology.
During the Certificate, Makayla learnt skills in garment design, textile print development, pattern making, sewing and fashion drawing in our simulated workplace and custom design studios which assisted her with her competition design.
As part of their studies, each Certificate II student got the opportunity to work on a piece for the Wearable Art competition with NMTAFE having an additional 3 semi-finalists and two finalists on top of Mikayla’s winning entry.
“From start to finish this whole experience has been so eye-opening and enjoyable seeing my work come to life,” she said.
“When my name was called for youth category winner it was an amazing feeling, I couldn’t believe it!”
Makayla said as she was doing ATAR at school which had been a main focus for the year she thought it would be interesting to explore what that would look like in an art form with her wearable art exploring the stress, anxiety, hope and obsessive thoughts that come with high school.
“The dress itself was based off a ball dress and is supposed to look like it is made out of a page ripped out of a student’s notebook,” she said.
“I used heavy up cycled curtain fabric with rings around the bottom to depict notebook paper, and drew lines and notes from my classes all over it.”
“I have really enjoyed my two year experience at North Metro TAFE doing the fashion design and technology course. I have been studying four ATAR subjects at school and have found Fridays have been a great escape to be creative.
“I have always liked art and design and have struggled deciding which path to take after school. After the competition I put in a late application for the diploma fashion course and look forward to the next chapter whatever that may be.”
The wearable art pieces were showcased on a catwalk across the David Grays Arena football oval in Mandurah on November 6.
You will be able to view Makayla’s and the other entries at the annual Wearable Art Mandurah exhibition at the Contemporary Art Spaces Mandurah from February 18 to April 10, 2022.
Applications are now open to study fashion and textiles at NMTAFE for 2022.