The spotlight is on the next generation of Australian fashion designers, with 10 of the nation's most promising stars on show at a landmark event.
A selection of outfits from the final year ranges of the top 2012 graduates will be on display at the Powerhouse Museum as part of the 'Making it: 20 years of Student Fashion' exhibition, until October 7, 2013.
This year’s exhibition marks 20 years of Student Fashion, since 1993, and will feature the works of top talent from four Sydney based fashion design schools: Fashion Design Studio, TAFE NSW, Sydney Institute; Raffles College of Design and Commerce; University of Technology, Sydney; and the Whitehouse Institute of Design.
Five of 2012’s top fashion students have been chosen – Kathleen Choo, Ryan Samways, Andriana Jacky, and Inder Dhillon – in addition to the current work of some alumni.
The Student Fashion ‘alumni’ includes Timo Rissanen, Alana Clifton-Cunningham, Gabriel Lee, Toni Maticevski, Micaela Ezra, Lauren Vieyra, Prue Rainey, and Dion Lee.
Kathleen Choo – University of Technology, Sydney
Kathleen Choo’s conceptual womenswear collection ‘Dimensionality’ explores the process of pattern formation. Inspired by the work of contemporary installation artists and sculptors, the collection seeks to uncover unexpected qualities of depth and dimension in simple shapes and materials. With a focus on industrial wool felt as the primary fabric, sculptural constructions and abstract silhouettes show what can be generated by processes of folding, bonding, laser-cutting and interlocking the materials.
Ryan Samways - Whitehouse Institute of Design
Ryan Samways takes traditional forms of menswear and fuses them with a more relaxed streetstyle aesthetic. His collection includes restrained, elegant styles featuring tailored wool jackets and pants and crisp white shirts. The formality is subverted with cuts and details drawn from street wear like the dropped crotch pant and crossover fisherman’s pant. Proportion and layering are carefully considered to maintain the elegant silhouette.
Andriana Jacky - Raffles College of Design and Commerce
Love and its complex emotional states are explored in Andriana Jacky’s graduate collection. Inspired by Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love and the flower of love, the rose, Andriana constructed her ‘Aphro’ dress in the form of a densely petalled rose. The rose coloured palette graduating from pink to deep red was used to symbolize Aphrodite’s soul moving from innocence to darkness. This uneasy mood continues in her ‘Cyprus’ outfit with its magnified rose petal print and ballooning form opening to reveal a naked Aphrodite.
Inder Dhillon - Fashion Design Studio, TAFE NSW, Sydney Institute
Canadian born Inder Dhillon strives to ‘create fashion that empowers and exudes confidence’. Although originally trained in finance she switched to fashion after studying part time at Parsons in New York. Her ‘Lady Klimt’ gown is ‘a contemporary interpretation of the women Klimt depicted in his painting Water Snakes 11. The silhouette reflects the fluidity of the painting, while the embroidery is an interpretation of motifs within the painting. Glomesh is used to gild the body just as Klimt gilded his work.’ The leather ‘Rajasthani Cuff’ dress was inspired by ancient Rajasthani metal cuffs. Inder used laser cutting and leather lacing to reflect the craftsmanship of the metal jewellery.
Student Fashion ‘alumni’
Timo Rissanen
A graduate of UTS, Timo Rissanen’s work was featured in the 1998 Student fashion. His display of outfits constructed from Chux Super Wipes won him the Hound Dog Innovative Design Award. He went on to establish his own label and teach at UTS. In 2010 he was made Assistant Professor of Design and Sustainability at Parsons: The New School for Design in New York and with Alison Gwilt wrote Shaping Sustainable Fashion: Changing the way we Make and use Clothes. Timo’s research, teaching and design practice is concerned with transforming the fashion industry to make it more sustainable and his blog features discussions, projects and exhibitions about fashion and sustainability.
Alana Clifton-Cunningham
Alana Clifton-Cunningham is a fulltime academic within the Fashion and Textile Design course at the University of Technology, Sydney. After graduating from UTS in 1993, Alana worked as a designer in the fashion industry before taking on her current position at UTS in 2000. Her specialisation is knitting which looks beyond traditional knitted coverings for the body. Experimenting with machine and handknitting techniques Alana’s ‘..work evolves mostly through draping three dimensionally on a mannequin’. For her, knitting functions as a vehicle for ‘deconstruction’ with familiar garment structures transformed into disarticulated ‘body pieces’ featuring interpretive narratives and visual messages based on concepts including body scarification and historical garment components.
Gabriel Lee
Gabriel Lee was born and raised in South Korea and moved to Sydney to study fashion at Raffles College of Design and Commerce. He has won numerous awards and competitions both locally and internationally including ‘Best collection’ in the Young fashion designer contest section of the Aquafina Pure Fashion awards held in Vietnam in 2009, 1st in the tertiary section at The Australian Wool Fashion awards in 2010 and 1st in the Frock up in Colour section of the Tesuti Awards in 2010. After graduating he presented his debut collection at Mercedes-Benz Australian Fashion Week 2012.
Toni Maticevski
Toni Maticevski graduated from RMIT University in Melbourne and launched his eponymous label in 1999. Drive and vision has seen this talented designer evolve a brand that eschews fast fashion and fads in favour of thoughtful, intriguingly contstructed hand crafted couture with a twist of avant-garde energy. With his signature manipulation of traditional fashion silhouettes and use of unique materials he is now recognised as one of Australia’s most original and talented designers.
Micaela Ezra
A graduate the Fashion Design Studio at the Sydney Institute of Technology, Micaela Ezra is now a fashion designer, textile artist and illustrator. In 2006 Micaela presented her debut collection at Australian Fashion Week. Months later she packed her bags for New York, where she knocked on doors, and was immediately offered a design position at Cynthia Steffe. In 2009 Micaela moved on to become the Creative Director for three womenswear collections, collaborating with Anthropologie, Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus and Saks. Micaela currently resides in the West Village, where she draws inspiration from the city, and is working towards an independent collection. Micaela’s signature is her fabric manipulation and original, hand-drawn print development.
Lauren Vieyra and Prue Rainey - Cue
Prue Rainey graduated from The Whitehouse Institute of Design in 2000, winning a full scholarship to complete her Masters in Fashion Design at the Academia Italiana, Firenze, Italy. Prue joined Cue in 2000 as a Junior Designer, taking on her current role of Head of Design in 2004. Cue is a design driven company and Australian icon, which has repeatedly been awarded Australia’s favourite fashion brand. Prue’s influence on fashion continues with her having recently developed Illy Strate - a new and unique drawing tool for fashion illustration and design.
On graduating top of her class at the Whitehouse Institute of Design, Sydney 2005, Lauren Vieyra was awarded a full scholarship to study Masters of Fashion Design at Academia Italiana, Firenze, Italy. While studying, Lauren, represented Australia in the Hempel Awards at China Fashion Week and was awarded an Excellence Award for Australia. In 2009, Lauren achieved 2nd runner up on TV series ‘Project Runway Australia’ (Season 2). Lauren joined leading and long established Australian fashion company Cue in 2008 and is now a Senior Designer on the brand.
Dion Lee
Debuting on the Australian fashion scene in TAFE NSW’s Innovators Parade at the 2008 Rosemount Australian Fashion Week with three of his TAFE classmates, Dion Lee was an instant success. Since graduating from Ultimo College Fashion Design Studio in 2007, Lee has been thriving in the industry, receiving numerous accolades for his work. Among these are acclaimed solo shows at the L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival and Rosemount Australian Fashion Week, exhibitions at the Strand Arcade and the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, and receiving the Crosier Eveningwear Award in 2007. Dion was also named 'Best Up and Coming Designer' at the Prix De Marie Claire Awards in 2009 and has also won the L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival Design Woolmark Award. In July 2012, Lee was also awarded the International Woolmark Prize for the Australian region and was selected to represent Australia at the International Woolmark Prize, judged at London Fashion Week on February 16, 2013. In addition, Lee’s work has been picked up by prestigious stockists including David Jones and net-a-porter online.