Teaching couturier skills to the younger generation

My main passion in life is designing and making beautiful garments for clients. My other passion is teaching.

For the last 2 years I have been a lecturer in the final year of a Bachelor of Fashion Design at Fashion Masters (formerly Melbourne School of Fashion). I teach one day a week, helping the graduating class to design and assemble their final pieces for presentation.

This is hands-on work helping students complete some very demanding projects and I love the challenge of seeing their ideas come to life.

MSFW Emerging Collective Runway Show

At this year’s Melbourne Spring Fashion Week (MSFW), which runs from 26 August to 2 September three of my students will feature in the MSFW Emerging Collective Runway Show taking place on Sunday 28 August.

This is such an exciting event for teaching staff as well as students and a fantastic opportunity for talented fashionistas to showcase their creative, daring and artistic skills. Students go through a rigorous selection process to get into the show and competition is fierce across Melbourne’s fashion schools for a place on the catwalk.

At the event students’ show 3 “looks” from their graduate collections which are still being developed. They will be finishing their pieces up to the very last minute – much coffee and chocolate is consumed in these last few weeks!

It is incredibly gratifying to see them getting recognition for their hard work – there are some very ambitious ideas brought to fruition here and to lend a hand is such a joy for me.

Kahlia May

Image @kahliamay

Emily Hennessy

Image @glitrstudio

Emily Purcell

Image @em_illypurcell

The COLLECTIVE – Fashion Masters Open Studios

Another event taking place during MSFW is an exhibition by graduating designers and teaching staff called The COLLECTIVE– Fashion Masters Open Studios. Visitors can view textiles, accessories and fashion illustration alongside a creative body of work spanning 30 years. I’ll be working on a tailored piece in the studio for display at the exhibition which will feature other garments from my collection.

The COLLECTIVE is on Wednesday 31 August and Thursday 1 September, 5-8pm at 185 Spring St, Melbourne. Entry is free so why not drop in and say hi, would be lovely to meet you!