Making a splash

Newcastle is known for its "first class" beaches. It's unsurprising then, that many of its fashion students have gone on to work for one of Australia's most successful swimwear brands. Assia Benmedjdoub reports. 

When Jessika and Adrian Allen purchased the Jets swimwear label in 2001, the company was reportedly approaching its 30th year in business. It's a tale that's been well documented by local and international media - and no doubt noted by ragtraders keen to emulate the brand's level of success - as the two entrepreneurs busied themselves with revitalising a solid but traditional fashion institute.

Aesthetically, the collections took on a more trend-driven element with a focus on colours, vivid prints and modern cuts. Strategically, the brand stretched beyond its traditional stockist base and found new homes across the US, Asia-Pacific, European and Middle Eastern markets.

This year, its high-end stockist base - which includes includes Harvey Nichols in the UK, Lane Crawford in Hong Kong and Neiman Marcus in the US - was further fortified when the brand secured a lucrative account with Australian department store David Jones. More than that, it beat out labels such as Kirrily Johnston, Akira Isogawa and Lisa Ho to open the store's spring/summer 2008 collections launch.

What's less well known about the Jessika and Adrian Allen story is that since 2004, the pair have supported a steady stream of "hungry" fashion students from Hunter TAFE's Newcastle campus.

"We are approached on several levels to work with educational institutes to both support and nurture the goals and talents of students from several different arenas," Adrian says. "We have a good relationship with Newcastle TAFE and are continually impressed with the talent from this institute."

The first candidate to join the team was Lauren Dowling, secured after the then head teacher Barbara Little approached the swimwear company. Current head Rosemary Brown and work placement co-ordinator Jennifer Kidd say the relationship still continues, with great results at both ends. Three graduates of the institute, including Dowling, currently work at Jets.

"Our work experience students have the opportunity to travel anywhere in Australia to complete their work placement and Sydney is only two hours from Newcastle so we organise visits each year to Australian Fashion Week," Brown says. "A large number of our students secure employment from their work placement."

Brown rejects the idea that regional students are at a disadvantage when it comes to employment opportunities, noting the campus has students working across the Gold Coast, Sydney and Melbourne. Jets production manager Janelle Derrick also brushes aside the suggestion and adds campuses such as TAFE Newcastle provide a hungrier breed of graduates.

"From Lauren Dowling to Carlie Horne, who has since travelled overseas to further her career, we have always been very impressed with their ability to fit into our company and contribute wherever necessary throughout the various departments.

"A TAFE education also ensures they have realistic expectations of the industry, knowing it involves a lot of focus, hard work and dedication."

Jets production assistant Kate Reichel, who has worked at the company for two years, secured her role after an internship program organised through Newcastle TAFE. She interned at Jets for one day each week while completing her degree at Newcastle and was offered a full-time position upon graduation.

"I had always known that I would have to move to a larger city to gain the job I wanted," she says. "[That said], I was supported all the way through the process of setting up work placements in Sydney, at companies I was interested in and that had a potential long term interest in employing students after they completed their studies."

Jets' latest Newcastle graduate Karissa Shrubb has three courses under her belt - a Certificate IV in Clothing Production; Diploma of Textile, Clothing and Footwear and a Certificate III in headwear/millinery. Earlier this year, she was also presented with the Hunter Institute Award for the most outstanding student at the academy for 2008.
While she's quick to note the academy's role in supporting her career, she admits being a regional student presents its share of challenges.

"Accessing fabric suppliers, accessories and services is a much bigger challenge," Shrubb recalls of her student days. "As a regional student, you are much more limited to exposure to fashion parades and design showcases. There is also the limited job opportunities in regional areas - in Newcastle you have bridal, tailoring, workwear and sportswear but no major fashion houses."

The fact many major textile, clothing and footwear businesses are headquartered in Sydney or Melbourne means a move into the "big smoke" is inevitable. Fortunately for Shrubb, whose day-to-day duties include sample cutting, sewing and pre-production tasks, she started her full-time position just a week after completing her studies. 

"It hasn't been easy [on a personal front]. There's a strain on personal relationships and the absence of friends and family makes for a difficult transition. Working in the big city is exciting for the new experiences and lifestyle but a little sad to leave the comfort and support of home."

Shrubb's bout of homesickness, which she admits she'll outgrow, hasn't shown through in her work at Jets. Derrick says despite the potential for regional students to be sheltered by their upbringing, their skill set allows them to "trade on" through the adjustment period.

Brown concurs. The campus has approximately 100 fashion students studying there each year, allowing teachers to focus on building the strengths and identify weaknesses in each student. 

"Developing holistic training plans that follow the industry planning process is important," Brown says, adding four full-time and 10 part-time staff currently work in the fashion team. "The students simulate industry by researching current fashion trends via the internet, media and trade journals while patternmaking and manufacturing garments to industry standards."

"City" standard facilities are also on offer with three industrial work rooms, a library, student services office and computer lab equipped with Microsoft Office, DB Artist, Adobe Creative Suite 3 and Smart Board. In fact, one of the institute's students, Ashlee Farrell, was awarded a bronze medal in garment production at the National World Skills competition.
Technical knowledge of the industry is clearly not an issue for the regional education provider. Instead, as with most fashion academies, it's adapting those theoretical and practical skills into the real world.

"My TAFE studies did prepare me for the basic skills I have needed in the fashion industry but I didn't realise just how demanding the industry was," Shrubb says. "It involves a lot of commitment and time, often working to tight deadlines and for long hours. It's for this reason it is so important that you work in a strong design team and have all the support you need from your colleagues."

By Assia Benmedjdoub