Generation next
Last month the cream of the crop among the 2007 fashion students gathered at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival (MBFF) in Brisbane to compete for the title of fashion graduate of the year. Tracey Porter profiles the top four titanic talents.
Dion Lee (Sydney Institute of TAFE)
Winner
Twenty-two-year-old Dion Lee has achieved more in his first few months outside of tertiary education than some designers manage to accomplish in their entire careers. Having studied under tutor Nicholas Huxley, also responsible for such talents as Alex Perry, Akira Isogawa and Lisa Ho, Lee has also had his collections featured across many media including Vogue Australia.
Picked up by fashion retailer Belinda Seper shortly after showing at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week as a student, Lee picked up a lot of his early business nous while interning at Sydney label Tina Kalivas. Having delivered his first self-titled collection instore last month, Lee sees his biggest strength as developing cuts and playing with construction. While he admits to being self-critical, he admits he still has a significant amount to learn about production and building a sustainable business.
Lee's label boasts many natural fabrics such as wool and silk which are then mixed with more industrial fabrics. Targeted at "confident" women who appreciate design and quality, his range is available in sizes eight to 14 and has retail price points ranging from $200 to $2000 for more tailored "elaborate" pieces.
Laura Prideaux (UTS)
Highly commended
Laura Prideaux may have only graduated a few months ago but has already worked for some of Australian fashion's biggest names. Shortly after leaving her UTS home in December last year Prideaux was accepted for work experience by Sydney fashion house Julio Valdes where she has helped create and manufacture leatherwear pieces for high profile labels including Ksubi, Lisa Ho and Chronicles of Never.
The reigning Lancome Colour Design Award winner, who sees patternmaking and draping as her biggest strengths as a designer, takes a unique approach to fabrications, looking at texture combinations rather than particular types of fabrics. With sizes ranging from eight to 12, Prideaux says her own label sits in the mid to high market with price points ranging from $159 for basics through to $1400 for a leather jacket. She says designing classic collections with a twist is what will set her label apart from its competitors.
"I work with the philosophy of producing something which firstly appears classic however upon closer inspection there is some complex angle. It challenges conventions of dress or even offers the wearer options in how the garment can be worn so essentially you are buying more than one garment."
Guy Hastie (Sydney Institute of TAFE)
Highly commended
Unlike many of his competitors, Guy Hastie was not born believing he would be a fashion designer. Having always had an interest in art and design Hastie studied visual art before determining he wanted to explore ideas through fashion. Having focused on cut and design detailing for his graduate collection, Hastie says the biggest misconception he has had to overcome is his belief that the industry is both "glamorous and generous".
The 22-year-old says he is heavily influenced by art, futurist sculpture and philosophies, however also wants to challenge traditional and everyday design by using fashion to push the envelope. "I'm inspired by contemporary design of everyday objects, machinery, architecture, militaria and people in transitional spaces. My designs are realised by my ideas of what lies ahead in the not to distant future however retaining an idea of what is acceptable and wearable now."
Reluctant to launch his own label until he has developed enough of a skill base to allow him to build a successful fashion enterprise, Hastie says ideally he would like to work for a high profile international label such as Raf Simons or Hussein Chalayan.
Maricel Cabig (Metropolitan South Institute of TAFE Brisbane)
Highly commended
Japanese-born Maricel Cabig has always loved illustrating. While briefly flirting with the idea of working in the 'manga' (Japanese cartoon) industry, her obsession later moved to fashion leading to her voluntary work as a backstage dresser at several fashion weeks. Since undertaking her studies the 24-year-old has worked hard at building up her skill base completing work experience at Brisbane label Easton Pearson and a paid placement at Size where she is design assistant. A winner of MSIT's 2007 annual Milan scholarship, the 24-year-old was forced to design her MBFF collection while in Italy and present to a panel of judges via the telephone.
Targeting her own label at women aged between 20 and 30, Cabig prefers using fabrications such as wool and cotton. Positioned to target the same core group as Australian brand Mad Cortex and Kiwi labels Nom*D and Zambesi, she says her key point of difference is her attention to detail and the quality of her construction. Inspired by the work of Yoji Yamamoto and Comme des Garcons, Cabig says she would ideally like to secure work experience with a designer she admires before marketing her own label.
By Tracey Porter