AUSTRALIAN Wool Innovation’s unique student design competition, Wool4School, will be open to Year 12 students for the first time, in 2017.

And 2017 entrants will be required to design woollen garments suitable for global stars like Ariana, Adele, Sia and Justin Bieber.

As well as the new design brief, AWI said Australia’s top student design competition will also return with some new prizes.

Over the past five years, the competition has grown rapidly throughout Australia and Hong Kong and has educated many thousands of students about the natural versatility of Australian Merino wool AWI said. Click here to get Sheep Central story links sent to your email inbox.

More than 12,000 Australian students were registered for the competition in 2016 as part of their formal school curriculum.

Wool4School in 2017 encourages Australia’s secondary school students to design an outfit for their favourite musician to wear for a performance on stage. Outfits must be a new design, innovative and inventive, AWI said.

Entries must involve a minimum of one piece with a maximum of four pieces and include a wool accessory, and be at least 80 percent Merino wool and suitable for a live performance.

More than $10,000 worth of student and teacher prizes can be won in the competition. The winning year 10 design is made into reality by leading Australian designer Jonathan Ward but for the first time in 2017, Year 12 students can take part as well. The year 12 winner will be offered a full scholarship to attend the prestigious Whitehouse Institute of Design to further their education in the fashion industry.

AWI said Wool4School is purely a design competition; students don’t actually need to make the outfit. The panel of judges just want their sketched designs and knowledge of various functional aspects of Merino wool.

Registrations are now open and when teachers sign up, they receive a free classroom kit. Get designing; encourage your friends to join Australia’s most popular school design competition, Wool4School.

Full details, resources and lesson plans can be found on the new-look wool4school website www.wool4school.com, along with details of the amazing prizes on offer for students and teachers.

Source: Australian Wool Innovation.