Think: ready, steady…dress!

Beginning on 7th August 2010, Rachel Burke, designer extraordinaire, will make a dress every Saturday night for a total of twenty nights.  The dresses will be made over a three hour period and the results of the evening labours will be uploaded onto the ‘i make. you wear it.' website.

Through her endeavours, Ms Burke hopes to raise $25,000 which she will donate to the National Association for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN). Ms Burke hopes to raise the money via direct donations to the NAPCAN website, from sponsors and by auctioning the dresses. 

The dresses will be made at a range of locations including a Borders bookshop, a shopping centre and her own workroom. Each dress will have a different theme depending on who they are made for and where.  For example the Borders dress will feature the Borders' logo and colour schemes, and will incorporate text whilst the shopping centre dress will appear as high fashion or ‘couture'.

Ms Burke said, ‘Having so many friends express interest and support in the concept of making a dress every Saturday night has spurred me on.  I am incredibly excited about what this project may achieve and hope to involve myself, and as many people as possible, in the creative ideals that this project hopes to perpetuate.  I also hope to encourage other young people to begin similar endeavours and show that anything is possible if you are prepared to put in the effort and believe in what you are doing.'

Catherine Baker, National Communications Manager for NAPCAN, commented, ‘When I was first approached by Rachel I was impressed by her enthusiasm and drive.  She is evidently a very creative person and it is fantastic that NAPCAN can benefit from her energy.'

You can follow Rachel on Facebook here