Stepping Out: Whitehouse Institute of Design
Assia Benmedjdoub talks to a current and former fashion design student from the Whitehouse Institute of Design about reality versus fantasy.
As far as introductions to the industry go, it probably wasn't the most favourable kind. But then at just 21 years of age, there are plenty more opportunities for Alison Davis to say her 'hello', 'how you do's?'.
"It didn't hit me until after I left the stage," says Davis, the first contestant to be shown the door on reality television programme Project Runway. "I was filming the show for four days only when I'd packed for five weeks."
The Whitehouse Institute of Design student makes no excuses about her exit from the competition, agreeing that poor fabric choice in the first challenge contributed to her downfall. Each week, contestants on the show are required to produce garments following a specific brief - in Davis's case, this was to reflect her own individual design aesthetic.
"I was completely devastated because the second brief was swimwear - I rock at swimwear. But being on that show has made me more determined to succeed."
"Just being on that show" sounds like a challenge in itself. After lodging her application through the programme's website, Davis then had to attend an audition where she presented her work, followed by a psychiatric evaluation.
"It took so long," she says, explaining contestants were left waiting four weeks before being given the go ahead. "We didn't know whether to focus on our work or prepare for the show - we were only told one or two days before filming began."
Davis credits her time at The Whitehouse Institute for inching her through the door and onto national television screens.
"When we have marking days, you really have to get out there and present your work. I got to the auditions and saw people standing outside with clothes on coat hangers. I came in with three friends who modelled the garments, had their hair and makeup done and just looked the part. The judges said I was the most well prepared person during the auditions."
It's been a humbling ride for Davis, who's now focusing on producing her major collection for 2008 and showcasing her work at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival Brisbane. "I'd love to extend my final year collection for a new generation show at Australian Fashion Week," she says. "I'm eager to start my own label eventually but I want to get a good year of full-time work experience first."
Yeojin Bae's international conquests are the stuff of legend - at least for students like Davis, who no doubt wants to emulate Bae's level of success once she finds her feet in the industry.
There was the designer's double header in June 2006, when department stores Barneys (New York) and Selfridges (London) ordered close to 75 per cent of her debut spring/summer collection. Before that, she interned at New York-based labels Marc Jacobs and Anna Sui, where she built her design armoury in preparation for the launch of her own label many years later.
What's less known about Yeojin Bae is that her "break" into the international market came not from her design prowess, but what most young-eyed students are guilty of: a white lie. "When I moved to New York at the age of 19, I'd assured my parents I'd look into studying at Parsons [School Of Design]," she recalls. "But when I got there, the first thing I did was open a bank account and call the office at Marc Jacobs for any work opportunities. I went in for an interview the next day and was employed as a full-time intern."
Needless to say, the gamble quickly paid off for young Bae, who went on to intern at Anna Sui and esteemed couturier Robert Danes. "The idea was I would move on every six months or so [in order for me to] have as much varied experience as possible," she explains. "Prior to going away, I had a hard time making the transition from design assistant to designer but when I got back, the experience changed everything for me."
What followed were full-time design roles at Saba and Charlie Brown, where Bae worked across several product categories for five years. The decision to launch her own label soon after was an understandably easy one - over a decade of experience made good business sense and she had a strong understanding of what Australian women wanted. A wearable but fashionable wardrobe.
"The real challenge for me was that I knew I wanted to sell to both international and domestic buyers," Bae says. "It was so hard with the seasonal differences and it's still something I'm trying to resolve without compromising either market."
By Assia Benmedjdoub