Edible attire feast for senses

WINNER: 2016 Edible Fashion Awards winning entry, Bride of the Black Knight, created by Darrell Woodward, modelled by Brooke Way. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

The Edible Fashion Awards are set to continue as a firm fixture on the Hawke's Bay event calendar, with the announcement of the date and theme for 2017.

Myth and Legend has been revealed as next year's theme, which should offer entrants plenty of opportunity to push their creative boundaries, says Sandra Hazlehurst, chairwoman of the Hastings Arts and Culture Trust, which runs the event.

Ms Hazlehurst says the theme was chosen for its wide scope, with entrants being able to draw on historical, mystical or legendary characters from any number of cultures or traditions. "Designers can either look to modern-day legends for inspiration or step back from popular culture and explore the richness of stories from the past," says Ms Hazlehurst.

The 2017 extravaganza is scheduled for Saturday, July 8, a month later than this year's event.

Ms Hazlehurst says the date coincides with the end of term two, giving students more time to put together their creations, as well as offering schools the opportunity to tie it in with the term's course work.

"Last year for the first time, several schools incorporated the Edible Fashion Awards as part of their curriculum and we would love to see more follow suit."

Spearheading the organising team for the 2017 event is arts manager, producer, writer and actress Kelie Jensen. Ms Jensen is the current executive director of the National Youth Drama School and is part of the team that produces the Harcourts Hawke's Bay Arts Festival. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama, a Bachelor of Business Studies and is a qualified Chartered Accountant, so is uniquely placed to manage both the artistic and business aspects of the event.

Ms Jensen returned to New Zealand in 2012 with her Canadian husband and young family and says she is excited to see how much is going on in our region creatively.

"It really feels like there is an incredible wave of energy feeding our cultural community and it's coming from inside, being driven locally, and that's a really healthy and positive thing."

As the only creative design show of its kind in Hawke's Bay, the Edible Fashion Awards continue to rise in popularity, with significant growth in both entries and audience numbers in 2016. Ms Jensen says she was blown away by the standard of entries earlier this year and is delighted to be taking over the reins of the 2017 event.

"The awards inspire creative expression across such a broad spectrum of our community and past winners have gone on to success and international recognition at the World of Wearable Art and New York Fashion Week," says Ms Jensen.

Now into its 12th year and with more than $9000 in prize money up for grabs, the awards are beginning to attract interest from outside the region, a trend Ms Jensen hopes to continue. "I look forward to working with the Hastings Art and Culture Trust Board to build on this success and grow the awards in to a nationally recognised event."