Steel Me Away

A few weeks ago I went to the CIT graduating fashion parade, an annual event showcasing the work of CIT Bachelor of Design (Fashion Design) students. This year's event was titled 'Archetype 10', and the event was the talk of the town, partly because this is fashion-starved Canberra, but mostly because it was a fantastic event. Not only were the clothes incredibly interesting and diverse, the presentation was seamless. According to all reports, it went more smoothly than most RAFW shows, so a big congratulations is in order for all the graduating students for being not only talented, but also organised and efficient!

One of the stand-out designers for me was Laura Steel, who presented her label 'Steel Me Away' (I always enjoy a clever pun on a surname!). Laura's collection was playful and irreverent, at the same time showcasing excellent tailoring in her signature sculptural frills. The incorporation of mesh into her garments added a point of interest; there was a fantastic moment where one of her models turned at the end of the runway to reveal a touch of derriere that was exposed by a mesh strip, and half the crowd gasped in surprise.

Laura has kindly answered a few questions and provided me with some photos of her graduating collection to share with you. I'm sure you'll be very impressed, as I was, with how polished and professional they are! Over the next few weeks I hope to showcase a few of my favourite designers from the parade, so be sure to keep in touch!

Oh, and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Love,

KQ



What inspired your graduating collection?
My graduating collection 'Hit Me With Music...' was inspired by the idea of memory and nostalgia, and the things that trigger them. I specifically looked into how music triggered my memories, and listened to old records and tapes from my childhood (Bob Marley, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Blues Brothers - just a few), as well as taking inspiration from patterns of old curtains and floor coverings to design and print my own fabrics.

How would you describe your graduating collection?
My graduating collection is very confident and loud. The intent was to translate a 'old' inspiration, into a contemporary context that was quite modern and out there without the final designs looking dated. The contrast of fabrics - sheers and solids - is quite interesting, and gives the collection a bit of a rock edge.

Which designers do you admire?
Earlier this year I went on work experience with the label 'State of Georgia' in Bali. Georgia Hall was great, she has no formal training, but has established this amazing label; she designs her own fabrics and prints as well as designing all the collections. It opened my eyes to what the industry is like, and got me excited about graduating and getting myself out there. Getting to actually meet Georgia and see how a designer works in the real world was biggest benefit for me, it was kind of like a VIP pass, you know, getting to see the behind the scenes stuff.

What are you reading right now?
I haven't really had time to get into a good book in a while, but am always into music magazines, I cant live without Rolling Stone
and Q.

What’s on the cards for the future, now that you’ve graduated?
Now that I've graduated Im just taking some time out. I want to look into starting my own label in the next couple of years, and I plan on looking into the business opportunities that are out there and being really well informed before I jump straight into it! I’m really excited to get started and to run my own label, it’s something I've wanted to do the whole time I've been studying and since graduating it’s something I feel is completely and utterly achievable.










Label: Steel Me Away
Hair: Amanda Fletcher at Axis Hairdressing
Makeup: Sami Bull, Kaarin Helmers and Ariel Miye at Canberra Makeup Academy
Photographer: Shana Jade Photography
Models: Lauren Cooper, Kristina Nedeljkovic, Alice Sutton, Hannah Mahony, Emily Josifoski