A UNIQUE garment designed and handmade for a charity auction in Newcastle has disappeared off a display mannequin in a busy shopping centre.
The sleeveless jacket was painstakingly developed by local teacher Michelle Villis for Corethic's sustainable design competition.
It was donated to be auctioned at a gala event on March 13 to raise money for sustainable water projects in the developing world and had been on display at Charlestown Square outside Myer.
Then last week, Corethic founder Melissa Williams got a worrying email.
"We were made aware that the garment had been removed from the centre court," she told the Newcastle Herald.
"We were really just gobsmacked that someone could just take the garment, it was quite brazen."
Ms Williams said the design had been in the works since July last year and would have taken a significant amount of intricate work, including hand-stitching tiny water bubbles.
"It's just phenomenal, it's just beautiful ... it's a super unique garment," she said.
"We are just completely stunned and obviously devastated for the designer as well."
Ms Williams said GPT Group, which owns Charlestown Square, was working with police investigating the theft and had handed over CCTV footage.
"Someone, somewhere will know who took this ... we're really hoping we can get it back," she said.
Ms Williams told the Herald that she hoped whoever took it - even if it was a bit of fun - would return it if they found out the story behind the sleeveless jacket, titled 'Waste not, Want not'.
The garment was a finalist in the international design competition run by the Newcastle-based charity Corethics and the winner was to be announced at the fundraising gala in Merewether next month.
Competition organiser Marnie Coates said she was upset for the designer and disappointed that the charity would not benefit from her generosity.
"It's just devastating given all of the time and effort that went into the creation of this stunning piece of wearable art," she said.
A Corethics spokesperson said the garment could be returned anonymously to centre management at Charlestown Square without further action.
Money raised through the "indigo" theme gala - including the auction of the three finalist designs - would go towards helping the volunteer organisation create more sustainable communities.
In April, Corethics will install its first wastewater treatment plant in Bali.
