Making it: 20 years of Student Fashion

Student Fashion Design at the Powerhouse Museum

While in Sydney last week I had the opportunity to view an exhibition of student fashion design at the Powerhouse Museum. This exhibition spanned 20 years of the work of both students and those who mentor them. I'd like to share some of my favorites.

Gabriel Lee, photo Hyeon-Goo Park

Since 1993 the Museum has presented the annual Student Fashion display showcasing extraordinary designs by the top graduates from local institutions. This year’s display includes striking outfits from the top four fashion graduates of 2012 including Inder Dhillon from the  Fashion Design Studio, Sydney TAFE; Andriana Jacky from Raffles College of Design and Commerce; Kathleen Choo from the University of Technology, Sydney and Ryan Samways from the Whitehouse Institute of Design.

Toni Maticevski c/o Vogue.com.au

This year also marks 20 years of Student Fashion. Over 140 designers have showcased their graduate collections in the Museum’s annual display. Making it highlights some of these former students careers today, including designers who established their own fashion labels, those that became lecturers and academics, and others that went on to design for major Australian and international fashion brands. These Student Fashion ‘alumni’ include Timo Rissanen, Alana Clifton-Cunningham, Gabriel Lee, Toni Maticevski, Micaela Ezra, Lauren Vieyra, Prue Rainey, and Dion Lee.

 

Make Lace Not War

Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, NSW, Australia

I have a great fondness for embellished garments. I had the fantastic opportunity to visit the Powerhouse Museum In Sydney last week and view this absolutely stunning lace exhibition. The objects in this competitive show were curated and included many non-objective works as well as pictorial and wearable artworks. The garments interested me the most. I'd like to share a few that absolutely captivated me. Please visit the website to view the entire exhibition. It is well worth your time. And while you are there, click on the videos to learn more about lace making techniques and the artists involved.

Priera Russell Holier Than Thou

Lace offers the mystery of concealment and the subtle interplay of space, light and shadows. Its layering can enhance the human body and create alluring effects in interior design and architecture. Though lace is usually associated with textiles, curator Lindie Ward broadened the definition of lace to include any ‘openwork structure whose pattern of spaces is as important as the solid areas’.

Tessa Blazey and Alexi Freeman

Neo Lace Gown

Playful and inventive, the works on display present a provocative challenge to traditional concepts of lace. The artists push lace techniques in surprising new directions — knitting human hair into sculptures of human organs, crocheting steel wire into a ghostly motor engine, carving lace patterns from the body of a rusty old truck. See lace in fashion, jewellery, sculpture, lighting and digital multimedia installations.

Toni Maticevski

134 artists from 20 countries unleash their passion for lace in this spectacular exhibition of winning entries and finalists in the Powerhouse Museum International Lace Award.

Toni Maticevski

The exhibition ranges from bold large-scale installations and sculptures to intricate textiles and jewellery. Materials include gold and silver wire, linen and silk as well as mulberry paper, tapa cloth, horse hair, titanium and optical fibre.

The award’s overall winner and five category winners (traditional techniques, fashion, built environment, digital multimedia and student work) will be revealed when the Love Lace exhibition is officially opened at the launch of Sydney Design 2011.