Kaori refers to her garment as a hand-folded wearable abstract sculpture. The title, Bilateral Relations refers both to the human form and the colours which reference the relationship between Australia and Japan.

‘Red Waratah Girl is a hybrid camellia fairy living in a garden in the Shoalhaven in NSW. Some people are not sure where she has come from as she resembles the iconic red waratah of the Australian bush but also the ‘Red Waratah’ camellia.

Award in honour of Pam and Neil Thorne – sponsored by Janet De Boer OAM. A special award which reflects the core concept of Paper on Skin, an idea conceived and developed by Burnie artist Pam Thorne with support from her husband Neil. $1000.

This complex garment, involving months of painstaking work, is best explained by the artist himself: ‘I respectfully create my own stories of modern mythology. This ceremonial kimono represents strength.

Awagami Paper Award in Recognition of the use of Handmade Paper – a selection of Awagami Editioning papers to the value of over AUD$500 - recognising the use of handmade, artisanal and/or non-commercial paper.

he karere ki nga atua i te rangi is inspired by Mayhla’s love of Tui. In Maori culture Tui hold powerful significance having been used by Ariki (chiefs) and Tohunga (expert practitioners) as the medium to communicate with the Gods.

‘Enlace #2’ is truly a globe-spanning work - created by French artist Aïdée Bernard whist she was undertaking a residency Costa Rica earlier this year.

‘Waratah’ was designed as a celebration of Australia’s unique wildlife. Telopia speciosissima is a bold and iconic example of our indigenous flora. The piece showcases how perfectly nature combines individual parts, utilising repetition and interlocking units to result in spectacular symmetry.

‘Flower of Life’ is made by a trio of designers. Inspiration for the piece has been drawn from ‘…the flower of life, a symbol of sacred geometry containing ancient, religious value and depicting the fundamental forms of space and time. It is a visual expression of the connections life weaves through all beings, representing beauty, balance, confidence and grace. We wanted to make a bold dress that would make the wearer of this dress radiate these qualities and be comfortable to wear.’

‘New Life’ was inspired by the artist asking the question, as she hovered her used teabag over the compost bin, ‘Does life end here…?’ More questions followed: ‘How do I transform a screwed up, soggy teabag into tactile, useable construction material? When does life start and end?’ ‘What is ‘life’?

For ‘The Shedding’ Donna has used abaca paper 60gsm, hemp paper, Awagami washii (beige) and also cream, raw and white paper raffia. The piece represents the shedding of ideals placed on a female as a child, a young adult and as a mother.

‘Flow’ is constructed from hundreds of circles made from toilet paper that has been made from recycled paper. Each circle has been coloured with sharpies to create the illusion of flowing water during the changing tide. The circles have been lovingly hand stitched into a garment using a vintage German needle from the 1960’s.

The 2020 Cocoon Designs Public Vote Award winner is Flower of Life. The piece was made by a trio of Colorado-based designers Brielle Killip, Chris Geissinger and Jennifer Garber. Flower of Life is a double winner, having also been awarded the Honorable Roger Jaensch MP Runner-Up Award of $2000.

Lichen Morphology continues Svenja’s fascination with, and exploration of, intriguing textural forms in nature. Svenja’s first exhibition titled Morphology (2009), focussed on ‘the fascinating surfaces and forms of fungi and lichen through contemporary textile practices.’ When travelling, Svenja photographs lichen and funghi. ‘Lichen Morphology’ is based on one of her favourite photographs of the ‘foliose’ lichen taken at Port Arthur, featuring the dark cupola shapes in the centre.

Adira of Aberlorne is an original concept bought to life from Polly’s imagination. Polly wanted to present a strong female character who was in keeping with her love of Sci-Fi, fantasy and the post-apocalyptic genres of film and literature. Her artist statement explains: ‘…drawing inspiration from a post-apocalyptic world, Adira of Aberlorne explores the female protagonist, embodying the spirit of a warrior.

For Empress at Forbidden City, Cynthia draws her inspiration from the impressive clothing worn by the ruling elite in China during the Tang Dynasty. Her focus of the piece is specifically Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in the history of China. The Empress’s life began as a concubine. When she married Gaozong and became empress consort, she was know to be the power behind the ruler. After he died she removed two of her sons from the throne and proclaimed herself Empress, a position she held until a year before her death at the age of 81.

Liz, Denise and Kath chose to collaborate on their entry. "Combining forces to realise an idea means that members of the team can develop an idea unconstrained but complimented by the technical knowledge of others." (From Artists Statement submitted for entry). Between these three gifted, experienced and awarded artists, there was a wealth of technical knowledge to draw on.

Bushido - Way of the Warrior, explores the tensions between the martial and non-martial philosophical aspects of the Samurai tradition, (whereby aggression is tempered by self-discipline, honour dances with loyalty, and justice and benevolence are inseparable).

In Greek mythology the Dryades Nymphs were spirits of nature, immortal whilst living in a tree, but dying when the tree dies. Dryades holds the secrets of past cultures and unexplored places.
 

There are other ways of knowing... Is a visual exploration of the shape shifting practices of a shaman using their totemic form to explore and gain knowledge from the non-material world; in this case the Raven totem. The ensemble includes an interpretation of a ceremonial dress and coat and a totemic body mask. The body mask is the 'magical' component of the dress, acting as the gateway for the shaman to move beyond the physical realm.

The work is a child's cape, symbolising protection, a social uterus, a garment which shelters a child from the pressures of the outside world. The cape allows the child to grow in a safe, nurtured environment, where individual thoughts can be valued and protected as they develop.

Burnie Bride of Yesteryear reflects the history of Burnie and the key place of paper making within that history. The piece is a replica dress worn in the 1920's by a local bride. The photograph is housed in the Burnie Regional Museum.

As the title of the piece suggests, Douglas has drawn on a variety of sources as inspiration for his winning work.  It consists of two garments, a dress with a bolero jacket for a female, and a tailcoat with tails for a male.  Inspiration from the natural world is evident in the leaf-like motif of the laser-cut patterns which are a key component of both garments

With Shadows that were their nightgowns… conveys a narrative that reveals – partially - a hidden internal story of the body, and the inherited cultural text we receive when we are bought into the world.