The Rotary Club of Whangarei South for the past seven years
has been running the Bernina Northland Fashion Awards to create a threefold
effect on their local Northland community. Firstly, to encourage local
fashion designers, to put their name out there, and to feature the talent that
Northland has to offer the world. Secondly, to provide a platform where
the profits are distributed to local organisations, and lastly, to create a
showcase what this Rotary club has been up to in the community, and why it is a
great family to be part of.
When the Rotary Club of Whangarei South took over the
Fashion Awards, it was not making money for the community, so the organisers
were looking for new direction. Since then there have been several local
designers who have competed on both national and worldwide platforms,
showcasing that a small place like Northland can produce world quality wearable
art and fashion.
Some of the local organisations that have benefited from
this event include: the Whangarei Youth Orchestra, Northland Youth Theatre,
Stoke Foundation, Brain Injury Trust, Sistema, Halberg Disability Trust,
Rubicon Whangarei, Whangarei Casper and many more.
Every year, more and more local businesses are getting
behind the event, with one sponsor commenting after the fashion awards, ”Next
year I want to double my input into the event”. Sponsors see the true
potential of an event like this in Northland, a community that has a population
of just over 160,000 within an area of 12,600 square kilometres, where the median
wage is $20,900. The more than $1500 main prize kick starts the career of
a local designer.
And the winner is... The Northland community, for when you
have so many positives working together, it is great that the local Rotary club
is right behind all of them.
