Fashion for a cause: Julie Bishop kicks off Frocktober
Julie Bishop has kicked off this year's Frocktober campaign in style.
The former politician and ambassador of the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation posed in a stunning red and pink ombre ballgown with the unusual backdrop of a lithium mine.
The annual Frocktober campaign is aimed at raising much needed awareness and funds for research into ovarian cancer, which over 1,500 women in Australia are diagnosed with each year.
The ballgown was custom-made by Adelaide designer Jaimie Sortino, who also designed Julie's pink dress from last year's Frocktober campaign.
Jaimie began working on the gown last year with his cousin Jenna, who was in the early stages of her ovarian cancer diagnosis.
They began working on the dress together as a way to share Jenna's story, who passed away before she could see Julie Bishop in the gown.
Jaimie included Jenna's name in the dress, saying "Her story touched many."
The ombre gown dress features words such as 'raw' and 'emotional' from people living with ovarian cancer and people who've lost loved ones to the illness stitched into the delicate tulle.
Julie was photographed at the Mt Marion Lithium project in outback Western Australia by photographer Russell James, who wanted the dress to stand out against the unusual backdrop.
Teaming the gown with pink work boots, the mine was chosen for the campaign shoot location to encourage conversations about women's health in every situation, including the workplace.
Julie said it was a "great privilege" to support the work of the OCRF in developing a test that will "give women hope in fighting ovarian cancer".
"With no early detection test, ovarian cancer is an insidious and dangerous condition," she added.
Frocktober encourages women to use fashion as a creative outlet and don their most show-stopping outfits to shine a light on the issue of ovarian cancer.
Image credits: Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation / Russell James / Supplied