TAFE NSW Fashion Design Studio (formerly East Sydney TAFE) has a long history in producing some of the finest Australian design talent, from independent greats like Dion Lee to those working for larger fashion corporations across the world. Fashion Design Studio director Nicholas Huxley has nurtured them all, and he believes these six designers from the class of 2010 will go on to achieve great things.
Triann Marcs
Rosemount Australian Fashion Week (RAFW) 2008 was the first time Triann Marcs got a practical taste of the industry: as a volunteer she was responsible for helping designers behind the scenes. A year later, she was part of the backstage team for edgy streetwear label The Cassette Society. “There was a small team of five, including myself, which allowed me to have first hand involvement ... communicating with the designer, suppliers and buyers”. The partnership didn’t end there, with Marcs continuing on at the label for seven months before moving on to undertake work experience with designer PR agency EVHPR. Her favourite design is a piece she created for a brief framed around ‘The Collector’; an eveningwear gown which featured silk faille, sequins, hand-dyed fabric and mesh.
Lauren Lee
Lauren Lee scored top honours for the cocktail category at the 2010 Flair Awards, before going on to scoop the Designer of the Year Award in the same evening. Needless to say, one of her favourite garments is the cocktail dress which gave her a “big opportunity” this year. Inspired by influential American artist Jackson Pollock, the handcrafted garment featured intricate beading and embroidery. Lee is also proud of her collection of tailoring in 2009: “They were inspired by the Victorian era with classic, tailored detail and chic, sophisticated silhouettes.” She is fanatical in her use of high-quality fabrics and finishings, with a work placement opportunity at designer powerhouse Carla Zampatti sealing this commitment last year. “My design is very often sculptural with a feminine touch as well.”
Emily Bree Walters
“Sensitive”, “fragile” and “softly structured” are some of the words Emily Walters uses to describe her approach to design. Following work experience with fashion label Kirrily Johnston and an internship with Willow, Walters is keen to further her CV with a production or assistant design role when she graduates. “I found both experiences to be valuable and as I work in Kirrily’s Paddington (Sydney) boutique, it’s great to learn how the business is run behind the scenes.” She cites a bright orange dress as her most treasured creation, with the entirely embellished garment featuring bias cut gathered strips in silk chiffon. Walters’ vision saw her take out a ‘Highly Commended – Generation Y’ gong at the annual 2010 Flair Awards in Australia. “During my time studying design, I have developed an appreciation for fabric embellishment and manipulation,” she says.
Dylan Cooper
Dylan Cooper will be the ripe old age of 21 when he graduates with an Advanced Diploma of Fashion Design this November. During his studies, Cooper undertook work experience with independent designer Dion Lee and mass market player The Dolina Group, which has 17 brands across its Sydney and Melbourne offices and distribution through major department stores and over 600 boutiques. Cooper assisted Lee with “light” sewing and production tasks in the lead up to his Rosemount Australian Fashion Week collection, while at Dolina, he compiled images and mood boards to fulfill seasonal briefs. He also gained a detailed insight into how larger fashion corporations work, but says his heart is in cutting edge womenswear. “Watching Dion pattern-make and drape things was really incredible; that attention to design and individuality is something I really want to pursue. I’d like to travel overseas and get some experience first, particularly in the European and American markets”.
Leah Marie Hibbert
With an eye for tailoring, beading was not something Leah Hibbert expected to enjoy while working on a cocktailwear assignment. The brief required students to combine five highly embellished fabrics – two of which they had to create themselves – into a look which drew inspiration from past decades. Hibbert created a two-piece layered look and covered it with oversized sequins, large bright beads, crystals and ornate glass. She also reused vintage estate panels and curved silver rods, which were sewed into thin tulle inserts that ran through the dress. “That cocktail dress would have to be my favourite piece that I’ve made so far... I never thought I would be one to enjoy beading, but I find it relaxing”. Hibbert has gained work experience with designer label Friedrich Gray and fast fashion wholesaler Wish.
Anna Westcott
Anna Westcott’s industry experience, both paid and voluntary, has seen her work across several lifestyle categories. Currently a showroom assistant at luxury Italian fabrics firm Analu, she has also dabbled as studio assistant for Lover and Friedrich Gray, a sales assistant for Funkis Swedish Forms and general assistant at Estilo. While her initial goal was to pursue an internship in Tokyo or New York, years of hard work in Sydney have left her considering options closer to home. She cites work experience at Friedrich Gray as the most “hands on”, assisting head designer Ben Pollitt with the creation of his showpiece for spring/summer 2009. “My design aesthetic would be best described as sharp, minimal tailored garments accompanied with textural detailing, print and tonal colour play,” she says.
Next big thing now
He has trained the likes of Dion Lee, Alex Perry, Lisa Ho, Akira Isogawa and Michelle Jank. Assia Benmedjdoub asks Nicholas Huxley to reveal his next big things.
Career portal fashionfuture.com.au hosts an annual mentor program, where the likes of Carla Zampatti, Nicola Finetti, Joe Farage and David Bush (David Jones executive) guide young creatives through the industry.
Assia Benmedjdoub (AB) recently sat in on a meeting between designer Nicholas Christensen (NC) and his mentor Claudia Navone (CN). Navone is an industry consultant, a contributing editor to Harper’s Bazaar Australia, guest judge on Australia’s Next Top Model and has worked for Elle (London), Uomo Vogue (Milan) and Prada. Below is an edited transcript of their conversation.
AB: There were hundreds of applicants for a mentor opportunity with you, Claudia, but only eight finalists selected. Why did Nicholas make the cut?
CN: We decided to do a day of interviewing where I met all of the applicants face-to-face; for me it’s very much about seeing something in this person. As soon as I saw him, I [went] ‘tick tick tick’ in my brain. I guess I was looking for somebody who can do something really good in fashion, not just somebody making some clothes. I felt that in him. Now after 20 years in this business, I can see when there is a germ that could potentially grow into a beautiful plant. Nicholas was also very passionate, which you need in this industry. You really don’t do it, especially at the start, for money because you’re not going to see that for a very long time.
NC: At the very beginning for me, there’s this huge issue of trying to set up a business, but at the same time your business is about being creative, being passionate, creating something beautiful. Both sides of your brain are working – your creativity is flowing and feeling while at the same time, you’re thinking about being commercial and numbers. Right now, I’ve got one collection being produced, one collection being sampled and very quickly I have to start to working on another one again. With all of this, I need a mentor who can help me with those creative decisions because otherwise, I feel like I can have so many thoughts, so many people to listen to, so much advice. To be able to go to Claudia with questions along the way helps to clarify things, to maintain my focus.
AB: You meet once a month and this is now your second meeting. What did you talk about in your first?
NC: We had a look at the collection I’d already done for spring/summer, which is coming into stores soon. Now that we’ve got this ongoing relationship, we’ve set up a timetable about what we wanted to achieve over the next few months so we can work together. This month, we’re looking at the winter collection which is being sampled at the moment. We’ve started to look at the goals for developing summer next year, because it’s really important I start that soon.
CN: I want to be quite involved, I can really help him with what I’ve learned in my years in this industry. As Nicholas said, he’s got so many ideas but you can’t have 3000 things going on in your collection. It will be really about focusing on a few different points and then take it from there.
NC: And helping me make those decisions because I do have to sometimes say no to a style. I do have to make decisions on the colour palette – whether it may be leaving a colour out or just editing things down.
CN: I think what is important, Nicholas, is to find pieces that have your signature but also you can sell. It’s that really fine balance between having a commercial product but that says something. Commercial in my word is not a dirty word; the difference is how it is done.
NC: Spring/summer was my first collection and I have three stockists for that, which is a good starting point. It’s about setting realistic goals in terms of, ‘I need to crawl before I walk and walk before I can run’. I’m taking that time to develop things properly and develop them well, building it up that way. I have a good friend – and now an employee – helping me in production because trying to juggle all the different collections is really important. Managing the makers so I can move forward onto the next season, otherwise I get stuck in the past. We share the work around because we’re very hands on. We’ve got an active workroom. I sew some of the samples, I do the patternmaking, the sketching, we do a lot of cutting.
CN: And that’s what I love, that’s what I saw, someone that can really make clothes technically. ¦
Christensen and Navone have earmarked a showstopping spring/summer collection at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week 2011 as their biggest goal. For more, visit www.nicholaschristensen.com.au.