Edible Fashion excitment builds

Dazz Woodward hits the catwalk with her 2016 Supreme Award winning entry “Bride of the Black Knight”.

Hawke’s Bay’s Edible Fashion Awards return to Toitoi on November 13, and one of its biggest supporters could not be more excited.

Dazz Woodward has entered Edible the past four years, after she first attended as a spectator in 2015 and came away “flabbergasted and delighted”. She says the Edible Fashion Awards give her the opportunity to connect with other designers in our community, both adults and talented young people.

“As a designer, the event inspired me to create and pushed me to experiment with unusual construction techniques and materials,” she says.

The first year she entered she won the Supreme Award with “Bride of the Black Knight”, which was created from woven plastic shopping bags and Black Knight Licorice.

“I am passionate about giving back to my community and the Edible Fashion Awards has provided a fulfilling opportunity for me to do this.  Over the last three years, I have worked with young designers at Te Kura o Pakipaki and Peterhead Schools, to support them in bringing their Edible design ideas to fruition.”

Dazz calls herself “one of life’s participators” and she loves the community element of her involvement with schools for the Edible Fashion Awards.

“It also involves entire, very supportive families in their creative endeavours to transform and recycle discarded objects into clever and astounding wearable art.”

Peterhead School teacher Rebecca Biggs says Dazz is “a wonderful part of our school community now”.

“She is amazing, full of energy and has a fantastic sense of humour! She really connected with our senior students, who were so excited to showcase their designs. The Edible Fashion Awards has been a great experience for our school.”

Now in her 70s, Dazz swears every year will be her last, with 2019 “definitely, absolutely 100 per cent” her last entry. Except she couldn’t resist the temptation to get involved one more time, especially once it was announced Edible was returning to the Opera House at Toitoi.

“I also see the Edible Fashion Awards event as an important occasion to celebrate and salute the diversity of all our local growers and farmers.  And returning to the Toitoi Opera House offers another wonderful opportunity to celebrate our community and for our young people to feel at home in this outstanding cultural centre,” Dazz says.

Possibly giving a hint at one of the materials she might have incorporated in her design this year, she says “Rubarella is off to Toitoi and I couldn’t be more excited!”

Tickets: Available now from the Toitoi Box Office, www.toitoivenues.co.nz or phone Ticketek on 0800 842 538.

More info: www.ediblefashionawards.co.nz

25 June 2021

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