Posted 16 May, 2020
by Grace Wallington
Q&A with the Hope Vale x OUT Fashion Designers
We are now 10 weeks into our collaboration with Hope Vale Art and Cultural Centre! So many changes have been made due to the current COVID-19 crisis, but our designers have been consistently working hard and adapting to deliver an amazing collection. This week we sat down with some of the designers to find out exactly what goes into designing a collection.
With the social distancing shakeup meaning we can only meet virtually, the designers also lost access to the fabulous QUT fashion studios. Whilst they have been provided with great support from the fashion staff, not having the spacious luxuries of a studio has led to creative ways of working. Taking over the living room for her pattern making, Jacinta said “it’s been a bit of a challenge... I have a makeshift set up… so it seems to be working okay for me.” Many of the girls are fortunate enough to already have a setup a home however, missing the big studio tables seems to be the key theme!
Image: Adapting to the home studio
The designers have also had to be adaptive in their collaboration with each other to ensure the collection is cohesive. Through weekly zoom calls and guidance from Lydia and Hilde, they have managed to create a cohesive collection that showcases their personal flair and incorporates the cultural significance of the artwork. When asking Miranda about her designs she said “I kept thinking about the ocean, the waves and the living life.” Miranda’s stunning designs use ruffles and volume to incorporate the flow of waves. As the ocean forms the overarching theme for CIAF 2020, sea life is present in many of the Hope Vale artworks. Shannon said “I was very inspired by how a jellyfish flows through the waves.” She noted that “its beautiful tentacles look like gathered fabric.”
Image: Working from home
For many of us, having the ability to design and sew your own garments is a far away dream. Working on this project we have learnt it is a long process from concept to final garment. One of the most important stages is toiling. Toiling is an experimental stage between pattern making and sewing. Polly said “it helps a lot with seeing how you go may go wrong and what to improve. If it doesn’t come together how you thought it would, Miranda’s advice is “start again and keep experimenting.”
Collection designing is such a fascinating process, so we have decided to host a weekly designer takeover on our Instagram account (@guuliilfashion). You can tune in to watch our designers as they cut, sew and toile and for any budding designers out there you can also pick up some tricks of the trade. Experimenting is key and Polly’s best tip for designers is “don’t compare yourself to anyone else.”
Images: Designer Amy Garret takes over the @guuliilfashion Instagram story
Make sure you follow us on Instagram (@guuliilfashion) and Facebook (@guuliilfashion) to keep up with our exciting project and be the first to see our finished collection!