Three Community House colleagues entered the North Canterbury Wearable Arts Competition, two taking top spots.
Robyn Valentine won the adult’s open section with her piece Sew Bee It and Fiona Pierce placed second in the same category with her entry Life is Short. Liz Shea had two entries in the competition which were well received.
The winning piece had been previously displayed in South Canterbury at the Multiple Sclerosis spring garden walk.
Mrs Pierce said Life is Short honoured the 650 women in New Zealand who were diagnosed with breast cancer each year.
She said the piece was constructed out of 60 donated bras, with each bra carrying a story.
"Some are filled with joy, while others are marked by sorrow."
The women at Community House had also donated a bra each in honour of their former colleague Lorel Hallinan, who had died of the disease.
Mrs Pierce said she had laid all the bras out carefully, and then — using a pattern piece placed on top — she had cut out her panels.
"And then I embellished it."
She said many fingers had been pricked in its creation.
The outfit’s corset was also constructed out of the same patchwork, while the feathers on the outfit’s top hat were created from underwires of bras.
As a nod to the 28 men each year who died of breast cancer, she had used straps on the front which were used by a breastfeeding mother when her father was diagnosed with breast cancer.
The pink bow on the back of the piece was created from a patchwork of the pink bra collection owned by a 23-year-old breast cancer victim.
Even her model had been affected by the disease, as her workmate died from breast cancer only weeks before she was asked to model.
"This is for all the women who wished they had more time."
It was Mrs Pierce’s first time competing in a wearable arts competition.
She said she had been inspired by Mrs Valentine’s recent success, having her work displayed in an Australian competition earlier this year.
Mrs Pierce said her colleague was her mentor.
The pair have worked in adjacent offices at the Community House for seven years.
"We’re both a bit weird," Mrs Pierce said.
She did not know what she would be doing if she had not been inspired by her workmate.
"I would have kept puddling on with other crafty things."
"She’s created a monster," she said.
Mrs Valentine’s winning piece would remain on public display in North Canterbury for the rest of the month.
However, people could view Mrs Pierce’s costume on display at the Hospice Shop in Orbell St.
