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The Sydney Institute Fashion Design Studio has produced some highly revered fashion designers including Lisa Ho, Nicky Zimmermann, Michelle Jank, Akira Isogawa and Alex Perry. It is no surprise, therefore, that the competition set in motion each year for the final year students of The Sydney Institute Fashion Design Studio is quite a fierce one.

This year, final year fashion design students were briefed to design one single eveningwear piece which adhered to the theme of “Night of Witches”. In keeping with the idea of making the competition as challenging and unorthodox as possible the students were also instructed that they mustn’t use any of the convention eveningwear fabrications. Whilst eveningwear is typically dominated by fabrications such as silk, chiffon or satin, the “Night of Witches” showing exhibited elaborate and exquisite pieces of eveningwear constructed from materials such as latex, rubber, reflector and all thing you’d associate with more with car yards and industrial design rather than fashion design.

As the students rushed to put the finishing touches on the garments, and style their models the Strand Arcade, which was set to be the backdrop for the event, was being transformed into little Italy just in time for the showcasing of the students' garments.

If the pressure wasn’t already on, it could well and truly be felt under the gaze of the judging panel which included Genevieve Smart (one half of the Ginger and Smart design duo), another Sydney Institute graduate Marnie Skillings and Ragtrader Magazine editor Tracey Porter.

When those in the “fashion know” report of Australia’s fashion industry flourishing events like these are the icing on the cake. The amount of talent showcased at “Night of the Witches” was nothing short of phenomenal. If these students have half the luck of some of the established designers which walked the path before them, the future of Australia’s fashion industry looks very bright indeed.