Sydney TAFE Fashion Design Studio Alex Perry, Akira Isogawa, Michelle Jank

TAFE students produce dyeing spectacular

With a flamboyantly sculptural outfit inspired by traditional Japanese arts, there are no arguments that Sydney TAFE student Anna Westcott is the clear winner of the 2008 Dylon Colour Award. The 22 year old from Lindfield impressed judges with her structured creation, beating 53 other first year students to the award and a share in the cash prize. The cream of the crop will be paraded at the converted Carriageworks art space in Eveleigh tonight, as part of the Sydney TAFE Fashion Design Studio's annual showcase.

In an explosion of colour, creations akin to every tribe imaginable were dreamed up for the 'Painted Faces' brief. Anna's design was closely followed by a moody interpretation of clown culture by Angelina Anderson (18 from St Ives) who took second place. A vibrant adaptation of the African Maasai tribe by Christina Rodi (23 from Frenchs Forest) took third. As the 15th anniversary of the Dylon Colour Award, it's fair to say that the competition was as tough as ever this year.

Jason Petrides of Cronulla and Cara Reece of Oatley were highly commended for their translations of Clowns and Native American tribes respectively.

Dylon has been a major sponsor of the Fashion Design Studio since 1994 and has seen winners of this award go on to become very successful in Australia's fashion industry. Dion Lee - who showed his first collection at Australian Fashion Week in Spring/Summer 2008 - was highly commended for this award in 2005. Michelle Robinson was a winner of the award in 2001 and set up her own label in 2004, as did Honey Hartley, who came third in 2002. The 2002 winner, Luke Sales, went on to become one half of the label Romance Was Born with is fellow TAFE graduate Anna Plunkett.

Alex Perry, Akira Isogawa, Michelle Jank and Nicky Nimmermann are but a few big names to have graduated here.