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Laura Wade and Mitchell Oakley Smith
Just before the Christmas recess, the Australians in New York Fashion Foundation (AINYFF), an 18-month old organization created by Malcolm Carfrae of Calvin Klein to mentor and support Australian fashion designers in New York City, named Laura Wade, a recent Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology graduate, as the recipient of 2010’s award. The award includes $25,000 plus round-trip airfare to New York and six months worth of industry introductions; the organization also named fashion journalist Mitchell Oakley Smith the runner-up.
The foundation, which is similar to the CFDA Fashion Incubator here in the states, has gained a significant reputation since last year’s recipient, Georgia Lazzaro, finished an internship with Calvin Klein women’s wear creative director Francisco Costa and Narciso Rodriguez, and the three other 2010 finalists “have scored full-time jobs” with Greg Kadel Studios, V Magazine and Yves Saint Laurent in Paris, said Carfrae.
We’re confident Wade and Smith will find success since the young designers are in the hands of significant industry players like Carfrae and Harper’s Bazaar USA editor-at-large Brana Wolf. If that’s not enough, both Wade and Smith have impressive resumes. Have a look at Wade’s past exhibitions as well as Smith’s published book on Australian and New Zealand emerging designers.
Wade's recent exhibition, Smith's book cover
(images: Ragtrader, Laura-wade.com, Booktopia)
