Fashion - Bachelor
This collection deconstructs the romanticised ideal of Australian “fair play,” revealing how sport - a symbol of national pride, mirrored the nation’s exclusions, and how women’s defiance through dress reshaped both the game and the story of who gets to belong.
AFL became a national symbol while women were largely kept on the sidelines.
Women’s cricket evolved within strict dress codes that prioritised modesty over movement. Smocking is used here as a reinterpretation of protective padding
Despite helping define Australia’s coastal identity, women were banned from qualifying as surf lifesavers for decades.
Modern tennis dress emerged as women rejected garments designed to restrict their bodies. This look references the period when Australian players could represent the nation only with a single “A”, a scarlet letter of limitation – reframed as a mark of defiance.
Model: @maryjoann.s
My name is April Want and I am a Gold Coast–based fashion and graphic designer graduating with a Bachelor of Design. I draw inspiration from 20th-century style movements, reimagining nostalgic aesthetics with playful contrasts and a focus on fun in the creative process.