I was wow’d last night at the Curtin Graduate Show by a more than a couple of students’ work. The stand out for me was Demeter, eco design, by Emily Tutungis. It’s a totally different kind of eco fashion. I’ve seen a lot of organic looking eco design coming out of fashion schools. This is chic eco fashion made with recycled suits. The Demeter collection wow’d me right from the show program even before I got to see it on the runway. All it comes down to, very selfishly, ‘Would I wear them’? Oh, yes please.
Then there was Trinities by Daphne Diting Wong. To me, her collection epitomises what an ideal graduating fashion student’s work could be.
I do feel quite strongly about what the graduate collection should be. It’s students’ core concepts which have to be then transferred into physical garments that evoke appropriate emotional responses. This could involve a lot of experimental approaches in terms of scale, volume and colour, sometimes to the detriment of actual wearability of the garment. Commercially ready garments and very much ‘ready to wear’ – they should not necessarily be.
Daphne made me happy with her exaggerated triangles. Her collection was another one that stood out from the show catalogue.
This year’s graduate showcase also included Honors and MADA students. It was great to see their (more refined) work once more.
Sheona Cowden was chosen to go to India next year to work for a few weeks.
I was so pleased to see Sheridan Joyce’s ecological (zero waste pattern and construction) collection. This year’s work is so much more refined and cohesive.
Finally, Seth Cray. What more to say really than his name. Since I’ve decided (not sure when) to spend my hard earned money to purchase graduate students’ pieces (rather than giving it to big name brands) I asked him to make me a long sleeve sheer jumper with pencil embroidery (in black).
What I really appreciated last night was that there were no other frills to the show, as in pre-show drinks, canapés, lengthy speeches (altho I was one of those who did give a speech last year), or any other ramblings. Because of that, the show started and ended at a reasonable hour and invited VIPs were able to have a look at each student’s work up close and personal after the show – the BEST.
Entire set of the runway images are viewable in No13 Curtin Graduate Showcase 2015 in Flickr. ENJOY.
