He may only be 11 years old but Oscar Paterson, of Alexandra, scooped two awards at the WoolOn fashion event on Saturday.
A hat, top, backpack and shorts combo created and adorned with WoolAid’s merino wool band aids won not only the Pink Wool Plaster Challenge but also led to Oscar, the youngest entrant in the fashion design event, winning the Under-13 Primary School Designer Award and a Singer sewing machine.
A love of adventuring and collecting treasures inspired Oscar’s designs.
"I wanted lots of pockets and a bag."
He made a fabric from the woollen band aids and his mother Amelia sewed to his instructions. The stickiness of the plasters made sewing very challenging.
Creating designs on his fabric with the plasters, in both pink and black, added extra flair to the ensemble.
The shorts and bag had lots of wool plaster pockets and the top had a secret pocket made from giant plasters.
For the WoolOn matinee Oscar had made himself a top to wear, which matched his model’s.
The St Gerard’s School pupil told compere LeeAnne Malcolm he was keen to continue to design but had no ambitions to head to Paris any time soon.
Mrs Paterson was also a keen designer and creator. She was at the WoolOn traders’ market on Sunday with her bags and needle rolls made from upcycled and dyed woollen blankets.
WoolAid began when founder Lucas Smith was working as a mountain guide and realised traditional bandages were not helping hikers with blisters.
With a passion for protecting the environment and to do away with plastic he came up with the world’s first merino bandage.
