News
Kwantlen grads have designs on fashion careers
By Karen Gram, Vancouver Sun April 5, 2011
Five days before today's grand finale fashion show, the graduating students of Kwantlen University's fashion program were on edge. For four years they had been building towards this. Final deadlines loomed.
Kwantlen University's fashion design and technology program is the only degree-granting fashion program west of Ontario and over their four years of study the students toured New York's fashion district, studied and practised industry standards, manipulated fabrics and dyes and in a few cases, learned to sew.
In their final year, faculty wanted to impress upon them that the fashion industry isn't all about creating high-couture gowns. The students were required to create three outfits for unmet niche markets. The niches these 32 students uncovered boggles the mind in a "why-didn't-I think-of-that" way.
They discovered that female fly fishers, chefs, photographers, falconers and artists were crying out for clothing designed with their bodies in mind. Men, they learned, want motorcycle wear that doesn't make them look like gangsters, they want snowshoe racing apparel that will keep their backs and feet dry and their bodies cool. Children and their parents want functional clothes that are still cool or cute.
Plus-size women want edgy clothes, vacationers want socially conscious clothes and teenage Animé lovers crave grad dresses that suit their cosplaying identities.
To complete the lesson, each student also developed a press kit, website, business plan and portfolio because, as they all came to understand, nobody succeeds in fashion without strong marketing and business skills. They were tired. And they still had a lot to do before the big show. But they were about to face a morning of reckoning. Not only were they being marked on their finished collections, but waiting for them in room 2125 were the models who would showcase their work on the runway.
What if their pieces didn't fit the models? Many of the students sewed late into the night to get the garments ready for the fittings. If they didn't fit, it could mean major alterations or even starting over. There had already been tears. Shadi Ahmadisagheb fretted that her decision to choose curvy models for her belly-dancing-for-fitness garb would come back to bite her.
"Maybe the garments are too small," she said. "If it is too small, I can't do anything."
Her third top had been a very complicated design. After three tries to make it work, she went back to the drawing board and came up with a new design. The process required six prototypes. It had to fit.
Boyswear designer Karsten Ergetowski faced a different problem. He had to find his own child models and did his fittings earlier. All that went fine, but with boys aged two to four, he had to figure out how to keep them from running, hiding, sliding and exploring when they should be walking the runway showing off Ergetowski's hip, yet functional, line. Upstairs in the men's fitting room, Brittany-Anne Fisher was picking herself up after teacher critiques left her crying in the faculty marking room.
Fisher, who studied design in Lyon, France before coming to Kwantlen, created a line of clothes for the metrosexual motorcycler. Rugged jeans, a cowl-necked pullover and an asymmetrically cut leather jacket define her stylish collection.
"They told me I couldn't give away my jeans they were so poorly sewn," she said.
"I think I am a really good designer, but I didn't know how to sew before I came into this program. Also, I am not going to be a factory sewer, I am going to be a designer so who cares if I can sew or not."
Nancy Fedoruk, a marathon runner and fledgling snowshoe racer, also had her eye on the finish line.
"I can see the end and it's making me excited," she said.
"I want it to be over. I will be sad when it is over, but we have all worked so hard I am ready for a break."
Unlike Fisher, Fedoruk is ready and calm this morning. She finished her snowshoe racing apparel line the week before and already has a job lined up with Arc'teryx, where she interned earlier. Her garments fit the model perfectly.
Leah Kleisinger, who created a line for fly-fishing women, also has a job lined up with technical survival gear producer Mustang Survival.
Caitlen Butcher had a few moments of panic in the lead up to the fitting. Butcher was a visual artist before she entered the program and she found a way to blend her interests by creating wearable art that artists and art lovers would want to wear.
Butcher took apart three vintage jackets to create one of her pieces. Everything was challenging, but when she tried to sew the pieces together, the leather tore. She despaired, but managed to fix the rips with glue. Then when she hung the piece on a mannequin, the leather was too stiff to drape as she expected.
"I grabbed a hammer and took my stress out on the jacket seams," she said, adding she beat the piece for several hours softening it to draping perfection. By fitting day, everything was ready and fit beautifully on her models.
Justine Edralin also was pleased with the way her subtraction-cut designs fit her model. Edralin, who faculty describe as "very talented," created a line for artistic older women using silk, wool and the cutting style invented by Julian Roberts. She finished them with geometrically cut-out felted tops.
It is an ambitious project, which had some bumps along the way, but as her model donned the finished project, teachers and students stopped to gape.
After the last model left, Evelyn May, coordinator of the program, pondered the talent of the class of 2011.
"They are a great group of students," she said.
"They really gelled as a group. This year's show will be really good."
Shows take place at the River Rock Theatre today at 1 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 for the matinees and $35 for the evening show.
kgram@vancouversun.com
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
Grads' fashions soar, click, and swoosh
Kwantlen designers wowed judges with lines inspired by activities such as falconry, photography, and snowshoe racing
By Karen Gram, Vancouver Sun April 6, 2011
Photograph by: Les Bazso, PNG
"Wilhelmina" by designer Laura Tanner: Kwantlen University Design, Fashion and Technology students present their graduating class annual fashion show at the River Rock Show Theatre on Tuesday, April 5, 2011.
Each of the 32 students created a collection for a niche market and as the show progressed it became clear that this is a west coast program. No fur and a lot of Gore-Tex walked down the runway.
Athletic wear was revealed in various forms including a very stylish falconry collection by Tessa Hewlett that could easily be worn away from the field. But there was also very functional mountain bike wear, cancer survivor fitness apparel, surfing and snowshoe garb.
Joanna Delaney's rainwear line Vapor impressed the audience with its gorgeous hoods and attention to detail: Perfect for the West Coast fashionista.
Lululemon representative Janice Larson said she was proud to see Delaney do so well after interning with the yoga wear business.
Laura Tanner drew praise for her Wilhemina collection for photographers and other career women who sometimes must crouch or kneel to get the job done. Using fine wool and fine tailoring, she created a collection that wowed industry people.
"She can take that and run with it," said designer Manuel Mendoza.
"There is something pure about the design. Sometimes we designers, we dumb down our designs, but that was good. She didn't overdo it. It was just right. It is so simple you can work it into a store."
Mendoza also appreciated the collections of Danielle Weisgarber who used luxurious fabrics in red and black to create a stunning French inspired line of evening wear, and Olivia Tang who let salsa dance inspire her men's evening wear line.
Bridal designer Alison Hartford said she was struck by the high level of construction seen in the garments.
"We go to enough fashion shows to know that not many attain such a high standard," she said.
Arc'teryx designer Tara Latham said she loved the funky outerwear Hewlett created for the women falconers, she called the Wilhemina collection "very cohesive," loved Emily Spence's Nystrom Tailoring coats for men and gave special praise her former intern, now employee Nancy Fedoruk, who designed the collection for snowshoe racing.
Most of the students plan to take some time off in the next few months before seeking full time work in the field. Some see themselves in New York or London in five years.
kgram@vancouversun.com
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
West Coast lifestyle owns the runway
Kwantlen graduating class shows no fur, but plenty of Gore-Tex on display
Models wear designs by Laurel Campbell as Kwantlen fashion students showcased their final collections to a full house at the River Rock Casino Theatre. They took part in three runway shows.Photograph by: Les Bazso, PNG, Vancouver Sun
Technical skill and creative expression stormed the runway Tuesday as the graduating class of Kwantlen Polytechnic University fashion program showcased their final collections to a full house at the River Rock Casino Theatre.
As the day began and the students prepared for three runway shows, emotions ran high, says graduating student Justine Edralin, who drew applause for a black subtraction-cut dress with a white and black print drape in front.
"The first show I thought I was going to pass out. I was shaking just hoping everything would work out."
Caitlin Butcher, whose Patience for Now line also met with crowd appreciation, said she felt anxious all day.
"I have been anticipating this for four years and it's been a lot of work. All day I was feeling anxious and worried and thinking about all these little details."
Then, as she prepared for the second show, she discovered that in the chaos of models whipping off one outfit to don another that one of her pieces got damaged.
"I went to have a look at my clothing to see if everything was organized and I pulled out my skirt and it had this huge tear in it. Definitely I had a bit of a freak-out," she recalled. "But I grabbed a needle and thread and stitched it up."
Each of the 32 students created a three-outfit collection for a niche market and as the show progressed it became clear that this was a West Coast program. No fur and lots of Gortex walked down the runway.
Athletic wear was revealed in various forms, including a stylish falconry collection by Tessa Hewlett that could easily be worn away from the field. But there was also very functional mountain bike wear, cancer-survivor fitness apparel, surfing and snowshoe garb.
Joanna Delaney's rainwear line Vapor impressed the audience with its gorgeous hoods and attention to detail. Perfect for the West Coast fashionista.
Janice Larson, representing lululemon, said she was proud to see Delaney do so well after interning with the yoga-wear business.
Larson said she also admired the hypoallergenic lingerie line by Sonia Koo.
Laura Tanner drew praise for her Wilhelmina collection, a line for female photographers and other career women who sometimes must crouch or kneel to get the job done. Combining leather and fine wool with fine tailoring, she created a collection that wowed industry people.
"She can take that and run with it," said designer Manuel Mendoza. "There is something pure about the design. Sometimes we designers, we dumb down our designs, but that was good. She didn't overdo it. It was just right. It is so simple you can work it into a store."
Mendoza also appreciated the collections of Danielle Weisgarber, who used luxurious fabrics in red and black to create a stunning French inspired line of evening wear, and Olivia Tang who let salsa dance inspire her men's evening wear line.
Bridal designer Alison Hartford said she was struck by the high level of construction seen in the garments.
"We go to enough fashion shows to know that not many attain such a high standard, she said.
Arc'Teryx designer Tara Latham said she thought the whole show was fantastic, but a few stood out for her including Hewlett's falcon wear line.
"That one was beautiful. She took a very interesting niche and she did beautiful, funky outerwear in a totally new way."
Latham called Tanner's Wilelmina collection cohesive.
She liked Emily Spence's Nystrom Tailoring line of men's coats and gave special praise to her former intern, now employee Nancy Fedoruk who designed the collection called Kinetic Trails for snowshoe racing.
"She is obviously very technical, very precise. She is super-talented.
kgram@vancouversun.com
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
Kwantlen fashion grads showcase style and talent at The Show
Shadi Elien, April 6, 2011, The Georgia Straight
Fashion took centre stage on Tuesday as the graduating class of Kwantlen Polytechnic University fashion program showcased their final collections in The Show.
The 32 grads displayed their unique creations for niche markets and proved once again that the four-year Bachelor of Design program continues to produce extraordinary designs by young local talent.
The Show, featured clothing perfect for any West Coast lifestyle with highlights including a falconry line from Tessa Hewlett that is just as trendy worn outside the wilderness as it would be in it. Active Vancouverites will be happy to see a slew of collections that featured stylish (and functional) clothes that are perfect for all their outdoor adventures. From Sara Russell's line Twofold that can take you from your dirt bike to the streets to Joanna Delaney's Vapor which featured stylish raincoats made to keep you looking fabulous in any rainstorm.
Each new line presented a distinctive style that featured clothes ranging from maternity wear and kidswear, to comfortable and colourful items for seniors. With everything ranging from sexy skimpy undies to technical apparel for snowshoe racing, one thing was clear from the class of 2011—fashion and talent is alive and well in Vancouver.
© Copyright (c) The Georgia Straight
Kwantlen fashion students ready for The Show
By Kyle Benning, April 01, 2011, Richmond Review
Emily Schmid is getting her clothing line ready for one of the most unique fashion shows in the province.
Schmid, a fourth-year fashion student at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, will show Sustaining Fairy Tales' spring 2011 collection at Kwantlen's annual fashion show at RiverRock Show Theatre on April 5.
Sustaining Fairy Tales is a line that Schmid created in September, and is something that she is passionate about.
"My childhood was really prominent in my life. Reflecting back on that I became very nostalgic, so my whole line became created around that," Schmid said.
The Show gives a chance to the fashion students to display their work to the public, and each student has to create a line for a specific, under-served market.
The H.J. Cambie graduate's line isn't just aimed at kids with an eye for fashion sense; it also appeals to eco-friendly consumers.
"The name is Sustaining Fairy Tales because I use 80 to 100 per cent recycled fabrics from thrift stores and by doing that it's obviously an eco-friendly line," Schmid said. "Each old garment from a thrift store has a story, so Sustaining Fairy Tales is creating a new story and continuing it on with the old fabrics."
Being friendly to the environment is something that Schmid has grown up with. She grew up on a 54-acre farm before living on a 45-foot sailboat for months at a time.
"You become sustainable on yourself in the fact you can carry on life with very little," Schmid said.
Schmid isn't the only Richmondite who is participating in this year's show. Two R.C.Palmer graduates, Ana Prpic and Olivia Tang, are also showing off their designs.
Prpic focused her design on maternal clothing after she witnessed how much trouble a family member had choosing clothes towards the end of her pregnancy and the start of post-pregnancy.
"What I also thought about was that the skin sensitivity isn't just for the mother, but the baby is also really sensitive. With the fabrics that I'm using, it's OK if the mother is holding the baby close to her; the baby won't get irritated and it's soft enough for the newborn's skin," Prpic said.
Being of Croatian decent, Prpic said she is a family-oriented person, and creating 4th Phase Maternity was the perfect fit for her.
"I feel by doing the maternity line, I'm putting my values and what is important to me in a showcase. I feel like I have a really strong connection to what I'm doing, not because I'm sewing and drafting it, but there's also a personal connection that is really important to me as well," Prpic said.
Tang, who was in the same graduating class as Prpic, also happens to be a salsa dancer. She said combining her passion for salsa and fashion motivated her to work on her line.
"Because I have a dance background, I thought dance wear would be something that I could really relate to and something that I would be passionate about," Tang said. "It's two things I enjoy, and I get to do it all at once."
Her brand, Sero (short for Salsero, a male Salsa dancer), provides male salsa dancers with clothing that helps with perspiration and allows them to move more freely.
"I've chosen fabrics that help with sweating," Tang said. "I have some strategic lines where (there is) a little more stretch when they're dancing, and smaller arm-holes where they can lift their arms without the shoulders coming up."
© Copyright (c) The Richmond Review
Burnaby designer unveils her Menagerie Tuesday night
By Janaya Fuller-Evans, April 4, 2011, Burnaby Now 
Burnaby fashion design student Justine Edralin is introducing her Menagerie collection at the Kwantlen Polytechnic University fashion show in Richmond on Tuesday night.
Photograph by: Mitch Thompson, SPECIAL TO THE BURNABY NOW
Twenty-two -year-old fashion design student Justine Edralin may not seem to have much in common with her target demographic, the over-60 set.
But the Burnaby resident's Menagerie collection is meant to appeal to the creative, artistic older woman, she says.
And Edralin enjoys expressing herself creatively and artistically in her work, she adds.
"It's inspired by really cool, fashionable old ladies," she says of the line.
Some of her influences include fashion icon Iris Apfel and former Village Voice fashion reporter Lynn Yaeger.
It's for women who may work in the fashion industry, or are artists or creative people, who want to express themselves with dramatic, avant-garde clothing, she says.
Her Fall 2011 collection makes its debut at Kwantlen Polytechnic University's fashion show on April 5.
The basis for the line is fusing innovative patternmaking with traditional handcrafted work, Edralin says.
For some of the pieces, she used fashion CAD software to design patterns. With one dress she used a subtraction cutting design method, developed by designer Julian Roberts, which uses negative spaces in fabric to create a garment, she says.
Some of the handmade elements include dyed silk, felted wool, and triangle cutouts.
The line is very monochromatic, according to Edralin, to allow the wearer to dress it up as she wishes.
"She's very eclectic and can accessorize," she says of her target client. "The pieces are really easy to style."
Her design choices are also reflective of her environment, according to Edralin.
"Torrential downpours are echoed in monochromatic dyed silks, geometric patterns and cutouts," she writes in her introductory press release. "Fabric textures reflect heavy clouds and wind system imagery."
While the line is Edralin's final project at Kwantlen, an assignment to design pieces for a niche market, it could have a target market as close as Vancouver, she says.
"There's a market for that in Vancouver, I've found, in the South Granville area," she says, adding the line is ideal for artists showing their work at Granville Island and others involved in the arts in that neighbourhood.
But she doesn't have plans to expand the project into a career just yet.
"Not right away," Edralin says. "I'd like to start a line eventually."
For now, Edralin plans to finish school, do a little traveling, and find full-time work in Vancouver's fashion industry.
She'd eventually like to get into design, she says, but with the same creative flair she brought to this project.
"I'd like to create more avant-garde, artsy things," she says.
She has been interested in creating clothing since she first took home economics in Grade 8 at Caribou Hill Secondary, according Edralin, and realized it was cheaper to make her own clothing. She studied textiles from then on.
Edralin's collection, along with the other graduating students from the university's fashion design and technology program, will be part of The Show on April 5.
The Show takes places at the River Rock Show theatre in Richmond with three viewings, 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and the main event at 7:30 p.m.
© Copyright (c) Burnaby Now
Kwantlen Fashion Students Sweep Medals at B.C. Skills Canada Competition 
METRO VANCOUVER, BC – (April 28, 2011) – For the second year in a row, three Kwantlen Polytechnic University fashion students swept the medals at the 2011 B.C. Skills Canada Competition in Abbotsford.
Competing on the post-secondary level in the fashion technology category, Kwantlen fashion and technology student Joanne Hu (Port Coquitlam) took home the gold medal while her peers Betty Zhao (Surrey) and Courtney Billinkoff (Vancouver) won silver and bronze, respectively. The scores of their designs were based on creativity, quality of pattern drafting and garment construction skills. The students had eight hours to complete the pattern drafts and sew fully lined garments which included a fitted, boned bodice and skirt.
As the gold medalist in the provincial skills competition, Hu will advance to the national Skills Canada Competition, which will take place June 1 - 4 in Quebec City, Quebec.
The Skills Canada competitions allow young Canadians, studying a skilled trade or technology, to challenge themselves to become the best in their discipline. Students compete at local, regional and provincial levels to win the right to represent their province at the national-level competition.
"These awards are a testimony to the rigour and relevancy of our Bachelor of Design in Fashion and Technology program," commented Barbara Duggan, dean of Kwantlen's Faculty of Design. "The dedication and capabilities of faculty for whom our students' success is their success and of course our students who are in themselves incredible, hardworking, and will make a positive impact on the apparel industry and profession in so many ways. Congratulations to all."
The hottest trend in Montreal last week was Kwantlen Fashion Design and Technology student Earl Mabaquiao
On Thursday, February 10, third year Kwantlen Polytechnic University student Earl Mabaquiao's passion for fashion awarded him "Canada's Breakthrough Designer" during Montreal Fashion Week.
The 2011 TÉLIO Design Competition brought together fashion design schools from across Canada and challenged aspiring designers to compete for one of five scholarships totalling $10,000. For the last five years Quebec-based textile company TÉLIO has been a proud supporter of the growth and development of Canadian designers and their annual design competition is always a significant event in the fashion industry.
This year design students were asked to create a garment based on the theme "Great Canadian North" and the win went to the student who most successfully applied the theme to a Fall/Winter garment designed for the sophisticated, avant-garde woman. The aspiring designers were asked to design a unique and authentic creation that would identify their garment as the new "must have" item for a high-end retail company while using intricate techniques to incorporate art in fashion. Mabaquiao's design demonstrated outstanding creativity, the best technical skills and respect of the theme.
"I'm very proud to represent Vancouver and show the rest of Canada what we are all about," comments Mabaquiao. "Fashion design must always be innovative and balance creativity, technical skills and overall understanding of the fashion business. I see a bright future in Canadian fashion."
Mabaquiao and fellow Kwantlen students Laura Nickel and Kristin Yip were among the 25 finalists who competed for the title of "Canada's Breakthrough Designer".
The only program of its kind in Western Canada, Kwantlen's Bachelor of Design, Fashion and Technology program prepares students for careers in the global apparel economy in fashion design, production, marketing, and computer technology. This dynamic program features comprehensive industry-based education and training using leading-edge technology and extensive internships that result in employment. For more information about the fashion program, visit kwantlen.ca/design
Kwantlen Polytechnic University has been serving the Metro Vancouver region for 30 years, and has opened doors to success for more than 200,000 people. Four campuses—Richmond, Surrey, Cloverdale and Langley—offer a comprehensive range of sought-after programs including business, liberal arts and science, design, health, trades and technology, apprenticeships, horticulture, and academic and career advancement. Over 17,000 students annually have a choice from over 135 programs including bachelor's degrees, associate degrees, diplomas, certificates and citations.
For more information about this story, contact:
Joanne Saunders
Director, Marketing and Communications
Tel: 604.599.2243 | joanne.saunders@kwantlen.ca
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Small Town Innocence-Kwantlen Student ProductionSome weeks ago I received an email from a student by the name of Sara Louden, who is enrolled in the newly founded Fashion Marketing Diploma program at Kwantlen. She told me of how her classmates and herself were setting off to complete an editorial style photo shoot–with little or no experience and zero budget–as a school project. I was struck by her and her group's determination to take on this challenging project, and her initiative to take the resulting shoot that extra step and expose it beyond the classroom by submitting it to String Magazine. Add to that her fluency in expressing her group's vision and I was hooked. Congratulations to all of you. |
Kwantlen fashion design students compete for scholarship during Montreal Fashion Week | ||
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Fashion Design & Technology students Earl Mabaquiao, Laura Nickel, and Kristen Yip emerged among top design talents from schools across Canada to enter the 2011 TÉLIO Design Competition. As finalists, they will be invited to Montreal to visit the TÉLIO head office, wine and dine in the heart of Montreal, meet government officials and jury members, as well as showcase their creations on the runway during Montreal Fashion Week. In the preliminary selection process, Earl, Laura and Kristen submitted design sketches, based on the theme of the Great Canadian North, that were judged by a jury comprised of acclaimed fashion industry professionals who selected 25 finalists among hundreds of submissions to compete for five scholarships totaling $10,000. Good Luck Earl, Laura and Kristen!
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Kwantlen hosts UK designer Julian Roberts on his 2010 Subtraction Cutting Tour |
Nancy Fedoruk receives silver medal for her design at 2010 National Skills Canada Competition | |
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Kwantlen Student: Emily Heaps wins Design a Dress Competition | |
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Kwantlen fashion students receive prestigious award for their label "Bad Apple"
Kwantlen Fashion grad premieres on Project Runway Canada
Kwantlen and Lululemon create sustainable partnership
Kwantlen honours Sugoi Performance Apparel founder Carol Prantner with Honorary Doctor of Technology
High school students strut their fashion know-how at Kwantlen
