Stepping Out

Assia Benmedjdoub speaks to a former and current fashion design student from Marleston TAFE about the business end of fashion.

"The entire time I've been studying here, I've asked myself: What's my big Kara Gillett is not afraid to ask the hard questions. Even with an impending graduation and a swollen portfolio of experience, the 26-year-old student is still weighing up her prospects in a notoriously competitive industry.
"Hopefully I won't have to make all of my own mistakes," she says. "It's a really tough gig and you can't waver from your message or your designs - you have to have a strong impact on people. If you don't how to market your product, there are a 100 people out there who do."
Confident that "90 per cent of the industry is business and 10 per cent creativity"; Gillett has even enrolled in an elective marketing course to boost her commercial skills. Alongside her Advanced Diploma in Fashion Design, the ambitious designer is now learning concepts of branding, promotion and advertising.
"I've had enough experience to know it's not all about creativity."
In fact, months after graduating with a Certificate II in pattern making and garment construction four years ago, the young designer proved her point and flew to London to hone her skills with label, Nico Didonna. Learning everything from budgeting to garment construction, Gillett says the experience gave her a new perspective on the industry.
"It was such an important time for me. I got to see the day to day running of a fashion label and see how stressful it is with deadlines and how difficult it is to create specially made clothing for different clients. I also didn't understand the importance of a lot of things like finances and time management. I learned so much in that time."
Enough, it seems, for her to start drawing up a preliminary marketing plan for her own womenswear label Kara Jean. Looking to launch the brand within the next two years, Gillett hopes to base her company online and secure no more than one retail stockist.
"I think, in many ways, that things like EBay are a way of the future. An online business also means that I can construct the company in a way that lets me travel and see the world and get inspiration."
Already plotting a trip to the Mediterranean at the end of the year, Gillette plans to spend six months designing a collection, honing her patternmaking skills and networking.
"And hopefully spend some time on a boat with my boyfriend," she laughs.


Anna Williamson is in many ways a self-made woman. After graduating with a Diploma in Fashion Design in 2003, the 24-year-old designer immediately began work on the first collection for her womenswear label Mai Loui. Three years down the track and she's even planning the launch of a flagship boutique in Hutt Street, Adelaide. But like many young entrepreneurs, Williamson admits things would've been a lot tougher without a little help from 'mum and dad'.
"I was lucky enough, with the backing of my parents business, to establish my own label. They own a made-to-measure shirt and corporate uniform business in South Australia and as soon as I left TAFE, I did all of my production under their company. I was very fortunate to land on my feet with this set-up."
Working at her parents manufacturing branch in Adelaide, Williamson split her time between designing for their label, Mai Loui, and helping them with their day to day duties such as cutting, patternmaking and even administration. Now in the final stages of her sixth seasonal range, and with a total eight stockists throughout Adelaide, she's looking to take the business to the next level.
"At the moment, the biggest challenge is opening my own boutique. After selling to boutiques and trying to sell interstate, something had to happen to take the label to the next stage. The idea is to make my clientele feel individual and unique."
Planning to open the store at the end of August, the designer aims to offer a collection of one-off pieces and customised garments for every occasion. The most important thing, however, is to look at the process from both a creative and business perspective.
"It's a huge challenge. But I need a few panic attacks here and there to keep me grounded. Nothing is too easy and nothing is too hard; it's just keeping a clear mind of where you want your head and persevering through with it."
Ultimately hoping to showcase her collection at Australian Fashion Week and build some experience with international designers, Williamson has no plans to slow down in the near future. In fact, she's looking forward to taking up an offer for work experience at French womenswear label, Lectra.
"I won it after entering the Textile Institute Awards in Melbourne in 2002. New York has always been a draw card, so too Paris and Milan. To keep up to date and to research the latest fashion trends whilst being able to travel would be the ultimate experience."