Hobart’s waterfront turned into a sea of puffer jackets on Saturday, as 186 people gathered in a bid to set a record for the most puffers in one place.
The attempt opened the two-day Tasmanian Fashion Festival. The result will be submitted to the Australian Book of Records.
As far as organisers know, nobody has tried to set the record before, so Saturday’s count becomes the mark for future puffer gatherings to beat.
Organisers of the event said the idea was to play on the jacket’s reputation as the “Tassie tuxedo”.
Festival founder Tanya Ellis said the puffer jacket often came up when people asked about Tasmanian fashion.
“In many interviews that we’ve done over the years, it’s always the question, ‘Well, what do people actually wear in Tassie that’s fashion that’s not a puffer jacket?'” she told Pulse last month.
“So we thought let’s play on that a little bit this year.”
At the time, Ellis said organisers were aiming for at least 500 people.
It was the first time the festival had tried something like this.
The sunshine did not keep people away, while some pets also took part.
Tourists joined in as well, coming from as far as Queensland.
Organisers are already planning to break the record next year.
The festival started in 2021 as a small event in Launceston’s Brisbane Street Mall and is now in its fifth year as a statewide event.
The festival continues today with 12 runways, pop-up shops and exhibitions.
