Fashion yarn wins Woolarama media award

Countryman’s editorial coverage of last year’s Wagin Woolorama has been praised at the event’s Glenys Gmeiner Media Awards.

Countryman livestock and wool journalist Bob Garnant won best media story with his colourful coverage of woollen textile garments designed by WA fashion students and put on show at Woolorama’s prestigious fashion parade.

The lustrously worded woollen fashion piece was published in the March 14 edition of last year’s Countryman, along with the rest of the newspaper’s post-event coverage.

Titled “Creativity at core of designs”, the story focused on Scanlan Wools’ involvement in the important rural event and how the Fremantle wool broker contributes towards a worldwide movement in renewable fibres.

Garnant said Scanlan Wools’ paddock-to-fashion woollen garment collection was a photojournalist’s dream.

As presented in the story, the fashion students knitted, weaved, embroidered, embossed and dyed their prototype presentations with an artistic flair for self-expression.

“With the raw wool produced in WA and processed to fabric at the Sunshine Group in China, then to come back full circle for WA designers to have a go, it was a whirlwind story in the making,” Garnant said.

“I am proud to be associated with the wool industry, going on 20 years, and to be recognised at Woolorama, was a very special moment.

“It is my hope that wool fashion remains a strong focus every year which should draw even further support from the industry to encourage a strong future of this wonderful and sustainable fibre.”

Garnant thanked the Woolorama committee for selecting his story.