People who knew Leah Evans as a young girl growing up in Toronto probably would have predicted shed have a career in sports. After all, she loved the grace of figure skating and the power of boxing.
But then someone gave her a purple sari. She was transfixed by the pattern on the hem. It was the little details that caught her eye, drawing her in.
She took an online sewing course but it was not enough. With high expectations, based on the tuition and the fact Blanche Macdonald School is a private institution, she moved to Vancouver and enrolled in their one-year program.
She was one of 20 Blanche Macdonald fashion design students recently handpicked by teachers to share her designs at a media-only fashion show.
As the shows host, Jaylene McRae, said, the process starts at finding inspiration, progressing to fashion illustrations to pattern-making and then finally, creating the garments themselves.
They do teach you a lot. I can either know how to do it and feel confident about it or go back on my notes and figure it out, Evans told WE Vancouver. It is a really good starting base for [your]self, working for others and building your way up with great stuff instead of moving onto more school.
She is currently working on collaboration with Anna Talbot, another graduate from the show, for Eco Fashion Week.
Lesley Chen studied economics at Kwantlen University and UBC before switching to fashion. She always had an interest in clothing.
When she was little, her mother made all out her outfits, which were very fashionable. Growing up, she wanted to make clothes for herself and her mother.
At Blanche Macdonald, Chen found the teachers helpful, wise and knowledgeable. Pattern-making was the most difficult process for her.
At the moment, she works on private commissions.
When asked for advice to give future students, Chen said to learn sewing skills first. Drawing skills would help a little, too.
Evans said to make sure it is something you want to do and are passionate about because the program is condensed.
There will be nights where you stay up late, do your homework and seam-rip after seam-rip after seam-rip.
Fashion director Tyler Udall said this years graduates surpassed expectations, especially for commercially viable outfits. As artists, they had a better grasp of the direction they wanted to take and what their vision is.
The other 17 graduates who had designs in the show are John Paul Reyes, Mira Campbell, Sandy Shen, Paula Dee Janes, Josephine Li, Michelle Hardy, Katelyn Birch, Colleen Schneebeli, Tammy Lim, Katy Baldock, Brockton Lane, Jena Lewis, Meeya Ladolcetta, Ann Der, Summer Li, Alison Mogg and Ranjit Heer.
