Blanche Macdonald Grads Set Off to a Good Start
December 5th, 2008 | Published in Event Report
Words by Maria. All photos by Alex Ramon.
If you ever get the opportunity to attend a graduation show from a fashion design school, do try not to pass it up. Grad shows are full of surprises and designs that range from extraordinary, to brilliant, to… interesting. In Fashion Collective, Blanche Macdonald graduates each presented three garments to represent the culmination of months and months of classes, endless studying, projects, and sleepless nights. The show certainly demonstrated that this group of students will make their presences known in the industry in the years to come.
There was a bundle of recurring themes during this show, some of them generally being the use of flower appliqués, ruffles, and lace embellishments. Students clearly have mastered these techniques, and put them together into unique designs. More evident recurrences found themselves in the use of wide cuffs, weaving fabrics, and hand dyeing and/or painting fabrics. Gemma Chung, Zoe Bernadette, and Patrick Edge all had a liking for the use of wide cuffs, but Edge used it on the sleeves of a chic grey coat rather than on bottoms. The first example, however, appeared on the runway during the first five minutes. Francesca Percival’s blouson pants featured a cuff that extended from the ankle to right below the knee with a gold button detail on the calf. Percival’s line was elegant and subtle—a hand woven pencil skirt with a knotted pattern was effortlessly classy, although it is certain that a whole lot of effort was indeed put into making it.
Along the same theme, other students ventured into weaving fabric for their designs, one of them Teresa Lai, whose technique was not as intricate as the knotted skirt, but all the same the result worked with her style. Lai used weaving and braiding to create focus points on her simple designs. A lavender jumpsuit with an A-line skirt and woven bodice with a sweetheart neckline brought back memories of Barbie doll outfits, but Lai’s piece was unquestionably more refined. A funnel collared coat with the same woven detail on the belt was not as Barbie-like, but surely added to the sweetness of the collection. Dana Spittal also demonstrated ability weaving fabrics in one of the tops in her collection. The top was simple enough from the front, but once the model turned around the back detailing was revealed: a plaited band of fabric running from mid-back to lower-back; its weight supported by six strips of the same fabric extending diagonally from the shoulders. It was a nice surprise in an otherwise uncluttered garment.
Hand-dyed and painted fabrics were also prevalent and resulted in exceptional pieces, one of them an exquisite white silk dress painted with a floral motif by Megan Rollerson. The model looked like a china vase at the top of the runway—the low back starting up a type of Watteau pleat that fit snugly about the bottom and moved away from the body at the knees. Very classy and sensual, this piece was definitely a favourite. Mandy Brost also tried her hand at hand-painting fabric and came up with a modern and haute couture-worthy creation. Brost used brown leather as trim and dark, warm colours to compliment the main course, which was the knee-length skirt portion, elongated slightly at the back, and replete with panels of hand-painted fabrics varying in colour but staying within the same palette. It looked like it was quite the endeavor to make and looked quite the part to show off at a gala or classy holiday shindig.
There were also pieces that stood out for managing to be unique and fashion-forward while staying timeless and wearable at the same time. One such piece was a beautiful strapless cocktail dress by Kylie Henry that had the air of a fairy-tale swan. The wine coloured heart-shaped bodice was trimmed with black lace which extended to the side and down the hem of an asymmetrical skirt. The skirt section was completed by a pouf of white crinoline which called to the reference of the swan with a similarity to the soft underside of the bird’s feathered body. Fairy-tales aside, this piece was brilliant in its construction, details, uniqueness, and doubtless marketability. Definitely another favourite.
Extraordinary made its way onto the runway as well, and it took many forms: from an Alice in Wonderland themed collection to one inspired by chandeliers. Fairies, water creatures, kids’ toys, shells, and vampire vixens were seen parading onto the runway in the pieces they inspired. Although the entire show lasted a lengthy two hours (not including the half an hour wait for the show to start and the unnecessary half-hour intermission), a wild range of colour, shapes, styles, and silhouettes challenged our thoughts and held the audience’s attention. Each student’s efforts were evident, as well as each individual personality and style. Blanche Macdonald has once again proven to be a quality school that knowledgeably guides their fashionista students into the right direction. Kudos to the staff and students!
