Grad Success
Craft and Creativity Wow Vancouver at Colour Couture: The 2011 Fashion Design Graduate Show
The staff and students of Blanche Macdonald’s Fashion School had high expectations coming into Colour Couture, the 2011 Fashion Design Graduate Show. From the very beginning, everyone involved knew it would be the biggest Fashion Show the School had ever presented, as an incredible 52 graduates would be unveiling their debut collections at the Westin Bayshore Hotel in Downtown Vancouver.
It turned out that Colour Couture wasn’t merely the biggest Blanche Macdonald Fashion Show. It was also the best.
“I was standing backstage when we started, surrounded by hair and makeup artists,” explained Program Director and Show Coordinator Peggy Morrison. “I said, I can feel it, it’s going to be a great show.”
“I think it was the most fluid of all the shows we’ve done,” agreed her fellow Program Director Donna Baldock. “People were calm backstage. We had some amazing professionals doing the makeup and hair, and the students here helping with dressing were great.”
If the backstage area was structured and serene, for the TV crews and hundreds of fashionistas in attendance (including supermodel and Blanche Macdonald Fashion Merchandising graduate David Chiang) the excitement and emotion was raw and unmistakeable. From beachwear to bridal gowns, from elegant functionality to avant-garde outerwear, from exquisite eveningwear to custom-made shoes constructed from recycled furniture legs, Blanche Macdonald’s Fashion Design class of 2011 proved that they had the craftsmanship to match their creativity.
“The workmanship and craft on every piece I handled was incredible,” continued Donna. “It’s easy to forget that some of those students didn’t have a lot of sewing skills when they arrived.”
“First of all, the portfolios were great,” agreed Fashion Instructor Lisa Gellert. “They were very diverse in terms of style and I was very pleased with the results. With the actual clothing, it all looked well made, and it was a diverse collection with interesting and innovative designs. There wasn’t just one aesthetic.”
Blanche Macdonald Instructor and Creative Consultant Tyler Udall (whose incredible résumé includes stints as Senior Fashion Editor in London for publications including AnOther Magazine, AnOther Man and Dazed and Confused, Contributing Fashion Editor for L’Officiel and Teen Vogue and as Creative Director for the Agency Fred and Associates in New York) was in total agreement.
“I thought the show was something all the students and staff should be proud of,” he insisted. “I love seeing the rawness of a designer taking his or her first steps on new legs in the fashion world. All of us artists were once strangers in this creative arena. When given the opportunity to debut yourself to the world, it’s instinctual for us to run with our biggest and brightest ideas. This sense of abandon is such a beautiful thing to me. It won’t be long before the refinement of a commercial world will chisel so many of these students into the shiny gems they are destined to become. It’s a very exciting thing to see artists leave the nest. I expect we will be seeing some pretty big things from these students.
“Some of my favourite looks came from a more sophisticated angle. Taliesha Stuart's elegant high waisted trousers paired with an impeccably tailored blouse. Another particular outfit that made an impression on me was Ilana Kim Lewis' skirt in iridescent chocolate tones with a contrasting knitted sweater. Ilana explored contrast with a sensitivity beyond my expectations. Josée Metivier made a stunning sheer techno collage of printed vintage scarves that I thought was stunning. And I really enjoyed Nicole Nekich's nod to the sixties. It was very well executed. Nice colour and fabric combinations but she still managed to make it contemporary and very wearable.”
One of the stars of the night was graduate Lillian Lim, who generated probably the biggest cheers of the evening with her elegant pantsuit featuring fabulous floral embroidery and her fitted black satin gown with a removable fuchsia hoop-style overskirt. She also picked up two Awards – for Academic Achievement and Pattern Making. It was a remarkable triumph for Lillian, who arrived at Fashion School with a 27-year career as a dentist already under her belt.
“That felt wonderful,” she smiled. “This year was great. When I came to Blanche Macdonald I was 58 years old. This is what I wanted to do my entire life. I came here to see if I wanted another career path. After a year here it’s shown me that it’s what I really want to do.
“The program was very hard work. And I’ve been through pharmacy and dentistry! I would be up every night to two or three am doing homework. But I learnt so much. I have three daughters, so I’d done a lot of sewing in the past. But I didn’t know a lot about the fashion industry and the design aspect. I’m so grateful for the teachers here. When you listened to them speak you could tell that they’re so dedicated and passionate about teaching. They love what they do. I’ll always be grateful for the experience I had here. If I become successful in this industry I know I’ll owe it all to them. I’m really excited about going forward.”
Equally excited was Paola Serrao, who took home an Honourable Mention Award for Design for her architectural poncho and capri pants, as well as men’s mandarin collar shirt and hip draped pants. Paola came to Vancouver straight from her hometown, the fashion hotbed of Milan, Italy.
“It’s the best thing I could have done for my personal improvement,” she insisted. “I moved to a different culture and broadened my mind. The North American way of teaching things is really practical. That’s what I was looking for. In Italy fashion education is more theoretical. For me, practical works better.
“This is my first time on the runway. I’m super excited and so grateful for the opportunity.”
Raphael Froese received the Award for Overall Achievement and had the honour of opening the Show with her two creations – a leather hooded jacket, plaid strapless dress and draped asymmetrical skirt, and a v-neck dress bias draped skirt and leather corset belt and shorts.
“I freaked out when I heard I was going to be first,” she laughed. “What does this mean? Is this bad? What are you doing to me? I didn’t realise it was an honour.
“I was hoping to win an award of some kind,” she admitted, “because I worked really hard. I thought I did a pretty good job. The year was intense. I’ve learnt to sleep about four or five hours a night. You have to put that in if you want to get everything out of the program. I gave up everything to do this, so I didn’t want to miss anything.
“The year was extremely challenging; but nurturing as well. There’s something that’s really amazing about these teachers. They don’t shut you down. They feed you in a way that makes you want to be better. They want to see you grow without crushing your fire to learn things. I have incredible respect for all of them.
"I’m moving to Salmon Arm and buying a dress making and alterations shop. It has the proper machinery, so I can do a lot. It’s definitely a good start. I’ll be an entrepreneur a week out of school!”
The success of Colour Couture wasn’t merely due to the sweat and talent of the Fashion Design graduates. It was also a tribute to the hard work of the staff at Blanche Macdonald, with special mention due to the endless efforts of Program Director/Show Coordinator Peggy Morrison, Program Director Donna Baldock, Career Director, Fashion Department Mel Watts, the tireless brilliance and support in the Sewing and Pattern Labs of Instructors Brenda Swinglehurst and Jenny Hedberg, and creative catalysts Lisa Gellert and Dana Johnson. Special thanks must also go to Blanche Macdonald Centre's President Lily Lim, Instructors Rose Aiello, Kimberly Law, Emmanuel St. Juste and Wanda Sustersich. Lab Assistants Mandy Brost, Krystal Frizzell and Whitney Phuong, Creative Director Kelly Schmidt, Creative Consultant Tyler Udall, and Marketing Coordinator Natasha Eng.
Infinite gratitude too, must be given to Jon Hennessey, Barb Baker and Phil Loiselle and their teams of volunteer graduates and students from the Blanche Macdonald Makeup, Hair and Esthetics Schools.
The entire team at Blanche Macdonald would also like to extend its sincerest gratitude to our sponsors, Holt Renfrew, L’Oreal Paris and Maybelline New York.
Full List of Award Winners
Overall Achievement: Raphael Froese
Student of the Year: Lisa-Marie Finch
Special Achievement in Pattern Making: Lillian Lim
Special Achievement in Garment Construction: Rhoderic Sia
Special Achievement in Illustration (Honourable Mention): Kiki Tang
Special Achievement in Design: Alex Yu
Special Achievement in Design (Honourable Mention): Paola Serrao and Salvador Gonzalez
Special Achievement in Portfolio Presentation: Nathan Graalman
Special Achievement in Surface Textile Innovation: Sara Armstrong
Academic Achievement: Lillian Lim and Marc Stokes