Former Mount Gambier local Jordanna Miles was awarded Fashion Graduate of the Year at the ‘Fused’ HomeStart Fashion and Costume Graduate Parade.

Ms Miles graduated from Flinders University in collaboration with TAFE SA with a Bachelor of Creative Arts (Fashion) and said winning the award was a dream she had since starting her degree.

“We actually have the largest graduating year ever with 47 graduates, so to win Graduate of the Year was a huge honour knowing how much talent I was surrounded by,” she said.

Ms Miles said the annual runway event was a great opportunity for the graduating class to showcase who they were as designers to potential employers and the world.

Her sustainable collection, ‘Grandma’s Destash,’ was created from recycled and deadstock fabrics.

“It was a lot of hard work but so much fun to be a part of and I’ll be going back each year to see the emerging talent in Adelaide,” she said.

“It’s one thing to know how much time and work you have put into your collection but to then have that work officially recognised and awarded feels amazing.”

Ms Miles said she loved clothes and creating clothing was how she expressed herself, however she knew the fashion industry was the second largest polluter in the world.

She also started her own business called Grandpa Thief Upcycle, where she created upcycled items and stocked them in local businesses and markets.

“I’m so passionate about upcycling because it feels like I get to create things and show off my art but I do not need to buy new textiles and contribute to the huge waste problem we already have,” she said.

“I also feel like it forces me to be more creative because I work with limited fabric and trims and need to make projects work.”

Ms Miles currently works as a garment technician for Holiday Trading and hoped to one day be a head designer or run her own sustainable business.