Susan shows Supreme wool fashion sense

Susan Thompson, who now lives in Port Macquarie, won the Supreme Award, which is picked from all the individual section winners.

Ms Thompson, who took out first place in the evening wear category, said it felt amazing to win the top award.

“Ever since my children were tiny I’ve been coming to this and I just can’t believe that I could get that trophy that other people have got year after year,” she said. “I usually only enter menswear so this is my first foray into evening wear.”

Check out more photos from the big night by clicking the image below.

Ms Thompson started entering the awards when she moved to Port Macquarie six years ago, after living in Armidale for 25 years.

She said she liked to create classic fashion with a twist.

“It sort of evolves as I work on it, it can turn into something completely different as this one has,” she said. “I have moved away from my original idea but I was happy with the result.”

Ms Thompson received three diamonds and a topaz to the value of $7000, to be cut into a style of her choice, donated by Paul and Linda Harrison of Harrison’s Armidale.

The black-tie event was held at Petersons Guesthouse and Winery, and hosted by television presenter Deborah Hutton and London fashion writer Colin McDowell. It attracted 254 guests for the evening.

Local models, as well as some from as far afield as Moree and Toowoomba, took to the woollen carpet to show 86 garments across 10 categories including knitwear, evening wear and wearable art.

Uralla’s Julie Harris was the winner of Elizabethan-themed wearable art section, designing a dress worn by nine-year-old model Cilla Clonan, who sang during the fashion show. She also came section in two other categories, race wear and work wear.

Ms Harris said many hours of work went into her winning entry, which was designed with Cilla in mind.

“A lot of it was done by hand and I kept looking for something really princessy for this little girl,” she said.

Two young Armidale designers were also recognised for their efforts on Saturday night.

Edith Rose took second place in the Glee-inspired secondary schools section, and Breanna McFadyen placed second in the recycled wool section.