Australian fashion designer Yeojin Bae has declared Cherise Wakeley the winner of the Yeosu Secretariat National Design Competition.
The NSW entrant came out on top of the competition, which called for emerging and established fashion designers to invent an all-Australian fabric to complement the ‘In Harmony with the Ocean’ theme of the Australian Pavilion at the 2012 Yeosu Expo in South Korea.
The Expo – which runs until 12 August 2012 – focuses on balancing the preservation of ocean and coastal areas with economic development.
Kevin Hixon, the head of the Yeosu Expo 2012, said Cherise’s sea urchin-inspired design was an obvious frontrunner.
“Cherise’s winning fabric design has been used to manufacture the Australian Pavilion attendants’ official uniforms. The attendants play a key role at the Expo, greeting visitors and being the public face of the Australian Pavilion and Australia,” said Mr Nixon.
Yeojin Bae, who was born in Korea, said, “I congratulate Cherise on her unique design and the opportunity to represent Australia at a global stage.”
Aside from having her design adorn the uniforms at the Pavilion, the prize includes return flights to Yeosu, three nights’ accommodation and $2000 spending money.
“It’s been such an unexpected privilege to win this competition. I enjoyed the creative process of designing and it is an honour to be recognised at a national level. I’m really looking forward to going to Korea and seeing how my design adds to the experience for visitors to the Australian Pavilion,” the deserving winner added.
