Fibre To Fashion lunch & runway

The village of Spring Ridge’s population swelled as one hundred women gathered for the inaugural Fibre to Fashion lunch, celebrating women and sustainability in the cotton industry.

Hosted by the Spring Ridge Country Club, tickets to the event sold out in less than five minutes and included cocktails and canapés, followed by a sit-down lunch and presentation by fashion educator, designer and illustrator, Emma Bond. Mrs Bond champions cotton as a hero fabric due to its versatility, performance and natural fit in the circular economy, and was a participant in the 2022 Cotton Australia Australian Future Cotton Leaders program.

“Our local cotton industry is constantly striving towards sustainability, informed by research,” she said. “It is vital that we re-humanise the story of how our clothes are made so that our clothes stay in use for longer. Sharing the stories of our makers - starting back at the fibre - is fundamental to this, and so I’m thrilled to be part of Fibre to Fashion.”

An agricultural powerhouse in New South Wales, the Liverpool Plains is a growth area for cotton production. “Fibre to Fashion presents a wonderful opportunity to raise the profile of Australian-grown cotton, its importance to our local economy and to celebrate the contribution women make to our industry and community,” said Carmen Ronald, Spring Ridge Country Club Committee Member.

“It has been perfectly timed to complement the conversations started by International Women’s Day around elevating those women forging change via technology and sustainability in communities, workplaces and beyond,” she said.

“The local fashion and textile industry is female-led, with women representing 77% of the industry workforce,” said Mrs Bond.

“Women play a key role in the Australian cotton industry, with one in four growers and 60% of the wider industry, female.”

Fibre to Fashion also celebrated local excellence, with suppliers including Narrabri’s Relish Catering, Wee Waa’s Josephine’s Drinks, Tamworth’s Groove DJs, Quirindi’s Hi.Hilda, Tamworth’s Entourage Technology and local photographer Codie Millgate. The event was MC’d by Tamworth’s Emily Herbert. Goodie bags and prizes showcased businesses Miss Mollee Designs, Down Under Cotton and Goondiwindi Cotton. Funds raised through a raffle and silent auction were donated to Thread Together, as a tangible means of supporting the concept of circular fashion and reducing waste by redistributing excess, new clothing that would otherwise end up in landfill.

Fibre to Fashion was proudly supported by CommBank, Bayer, Carroll Cotton Company and Tama Australia.

Article by Eleanor Pengilley first published in Quirindi Advocate March 29 2023. Official event photos Codie Millgate Photography