A passionate wool advocate has been named 2024 SA Australian AgriFutures Rural Woman of the Year.
Flinders Ranges fashion designer Nikki Atkinson, Horrocks Vale Collections, was announced the winner in a crowd of industry and rural women award alumni on Tuesday night.
Ms Atkinson said she was "absolutely ecstatic" to be recognised for her work in walking the path of sustainable fashion in a unique space of Merino wool and wedding dresses.
"I've always loved wool, even when I first worked with wool at Tafe, I've known it had something special about it," she said.
"I'm extremely honoured and grateful to accept this opportunity and to have Horrocks Vale Collections shine a light on an incredible, sustainable Aussie fibre."
After working in bridal fashion for about 25 years, Ms Atkinson launched her first Merino wool wedding dress collection at the 2022 Royal Adelaide Show - realising a long-held dream.
With the $15,000 bursary from Westpac, she plans to expand this even further, by employing a regionally-based PR person to help get her collection in front of the right people and share the value of the fibre.
"It is really important to get what I'm doing in front of the right people," she said.
She will also take her Horrocks Vale Collection of Merino wool wedding dresses to European expo Harrogate, in London, to showcase Australian Merino wool wedding dresses to the world.
"My dream goal would be in five years time, we'll be saying wool wedding dresses are a normal thing, not a different thing, and we will be seeing Australian Merino dresses all over the world," she said.
Ms Atkinson said the conversation about sustainable fashion was an important one and needed to be louder.
"Fashion is one of the biggest contributors to landfill so we need to change that, and we can start here," she said.
"Harrogate here we come!"
Ms Atkinson also paid tribute to her fellow finalists, Suzi Evans and Susie Williams, who was also her school friend from their Buckleboo days growing up.
Primary Industries and Regional Development Minister Clare Scriven also paid tribute to all three finalists, saying they had already achieved so much and would go on to achieve much more.
"These three women share a passion for community and growing regions," she said.
"They have each achieved success with their projects and will continue to do valuable work, regardless of winning."
Ms Atkinson will now go on to represent SA in the national competition later this year
Elizabeth Anderson
Editor of Stock Journal.
Editor of Stock Journal.
