AgriFutures Rural Women's Award

So I grew up on a wheat, barley, and sheep and cattle property.

And in year 12, I discovered fashion and moved to Adelaide, which was five hour drive away.

From college, then I worked for various different fashion houses in Adelaide and then a girlfriend and I started up a bridal business called Betrothed.

There we created some magnificent, beautiful gowns and there was never a gown that was exactly the same.

Every gown was very different and designed specifically for the person.

That was when I then met my now husband.

He swept me off my feet and took me back to the country life, now where we actually live and have three beautiful children.

My husband and his family graze Merino sheep and have for many, many years.

And our terrain is perfect for the super fine wool fibre.

So they've spent many years trying to get that fibre back to, you know, a really great micron.

And the area is very treacherous and hard to get into.

So we still use horseback and motorbikes to be able to muster the the area that we live in.

My project is Horrocksvale Collections where I create, make and design wedding dresses and special occasions wear out of Australian Merino wool.

Even though I've been a bridal designer for over 20 years, with Horrocksvale Collections, I feel like I'm starting again 'cause I'm using Australian Merino wool.

So it's reeducating people about the wonderful properties of wool.

And it's not something that's actually been used in the wedding space before.

So I always knew that wool would be the perfect fibre for wedding dresses.

When I worked with wool, when I was at TAFE college, it was just such an easy fabric to work with, like easy when you, you know, you're putting two pieces of fabric together, with wool also, it drapes so beautifully and there are different weights of wool.

So the super fine that I use, I love more so.

But the heavier wool is for simpler, more elegant designs, I guess.

Wool is only 1.3% of the textile market.

My aim is to increase it to 1.5 or at least 2%.

So I want to champion Australian merino wool in an area that deserves so much space and so much more.

And I think the wool growers, pastoralists, farmers, all deserve that as well.

They spend so much time and effort creating that perfect fibre and they're very passionate about it.

And I'm passionate about showing the end product to what can be shown on the stage or on the catwalk.

And also for people to say a wool wedding dress, it's not different.

It's something that just rolls off the top of the tongue.

Australian merino wool is 100% sustainable, so majority of wedding dresses are out of polyester or manmade fibre, which will never break down.

If you buried one of my dresses, the wool is going to break down to absolutely nothing.

The Westpac grant has allowed me as a state winner to be able to take Australian merino wool internationally.

So I'm actually taking Horrocksvale Collections very soon to the UK.

So at Harrogate, they have an international wedding expo and it attracts over 30 different countries that come to buy, looking for new brands and also new spaces that haven't been done before.

So I feel it's the perfect fit for Horrocksvale Collections to be showcasing Australian merino wool at something like this in an international space.

My inspiration for doing what I do is to, hopefully I will be a good role model for my children to be able to see that they can strive and do anything that they want to do.

I'm here to revolutionise the wedding dress industry in a sustainable and innovative way.