Red Riding Hood hunts first prize

Up-and-coming Port Kennedy designer Aqeela Isaacs has made her mark in the fashion world, winning the Perth Fashion Festival’s Student Runway competition last week.

The Challenger Institute of Technology fashion student competed against 60 WA fashion design students, who showcased either a ready-to-wear women’s or men’s, eco-design, contemporary evening wear or costume couture collection.

Miss Isaacs, 19, won the costume couture collection category and was overall winner for designing a Little Red Riding Hood costume with a unique twist.

She said she was ecstatic when her name was called out.

‘‘I couldn’t believe it — and then my name got called again,’’ she said. ‘‘For the category I won $500 and a sewing machine and for overall winner I won $2000 and a scholarship with Liz Davenport next year.’’

Miss Isaacs said her lecturer told her to think of a design which was a little bit different.

‘‘I turned the story around and made it as if Little Red Riding Hood was hunting the wolf — that is why I chose camouflage colours, the skin tone and the green —the cape is red but she can reverse it to turn it green so she can camouflage,’’ she said.

‘‘I spent most of my time creating it—I made the structure of the dress, cut the lace flowers out of a big bit of fabric and hand-stitched them on, hand-stitched beads, made the skirt and the cape was last.’’