From Scholarship to the Runway: Cara Baldwin Shines at Freo Fashion Festival
Last weekend, RJAFTA Trustee Abi Hall headed excitedly to Fremantle’s Walyalup Koort (Fremantle Square) to see our 2020 Robert Juniper Award for the Arts Scholarship recipient, Cara Baldwin, showcase some of her designs on the runway at the inaugural F.RE.O Fashion Festival.
Held on 17 October, the festival celebrated Western Australian fashion, bringing together independent designers, makers and creatives for a day of runway shows, fashion markets, upcycling workshops and a focus on sustainable style. It was a fantastic opportunity to showcase local talent and celebrate the creativity of WA designers.
And what a treat it was to see Cara’s distinctive designs strutting their stuff on the runway! Her signature quolls, chickens, peace signs, love hearts and bursts of bright pink were unmistakably Cara - colourful, playful and full of personality. Cara also collaborated with the Nannas for Native Forests, who lovingly handmade a collection of beautiful leaves to adorn one of her garments (see video below), helping raise awareness of the decline of our native forests through their work - something Cara is extremely passionate about.
It was wonderful to see how far Cara has come since receiving her RJAFTA Scholarship in 2020, and to see her work featured at such an exciting event. Opportunities like this are so important for emerging designers, giving them the chance to share their creativity with a wider audience and take the next steps in their artistic journey.
Abi thoroughly enjoyed the show and, just as importantly, catching up again with Cara and her mum, Delia.
We’re so proud of you, Cara! It’s a joy to see our scholarship recipients continuing to follow their creative dreams and making their mark in the arts.
Keep doing what you do best Cara, and we can’t wait to see what comes next!
Images of fashion models, and video below gallery, from Lollipop Love of Designs Facebook
