Adelaide fashion designer and 2011 TAFE SA graduate Kate Aikins is the only SA finalist in the Spirit of the Black Dress competition, which will see her dress paraded at the 2012 L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival.
Miss Aikins is one of the top 10 designers in the nation chosen by the Spirit of the Black Dress which focuses on emerging and sustainable fashion designers in Australia.
On being a finalist Miss Aikins is proud to be representing the South Australia fashion industry and was a bit surprised, but very honoured to be chosen.
“I entered the Spirit of the Black Dress thinking ‘why not?’ It is a great competition that promotes sustainable design and incorporating different and innovative practices to create garments that are still fashion, not just trashy chic.”
This is the second year in a row that a TAFE SA fashion graduate has been chosen, Miss Aikins joins fellow fashion design alumnus Cristina Tridente who was a finalist in the 2011 Spirit of the Black Dress.
Miss Aikins enjoyed the challenge of creating her own black dress using sustainable practices and said: “With all the technology and innovation happening in the Fashion Industry – it’s really nice to go back to what’s good for the design process, rather than just what’s cheapest or most efficient. It pushed me to be innovative and it’s always great to work on projects that push you as a designer.”
Miss Aikins couldn’t be more excited about being part of the L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival with the Spirit of the Black Dress opening night showcase and parade on 6 March.
“This will be my first dress at the L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival, hopefully the first of many to come!” she said.
2011 has been a busy year for Miss Aikins launching her label Misty Belvidere and graduating from the Advanced Diploma of Fashion Design and Technology with the highly commended award at TAFE SA.
On the fashion design course at TAFE SA Miss Aikins said it was hard work and late nights, but she would do it again in a heartbeat.
“The course (at TAFE SA) is really well‐rounded and you delve into all the different areas that encompass Fashion Design ‐ from retail and production to marketing, illustration, construction and fibres and fabrics, it’s practical.”
TAFE SA Fashion Design Educational Manager Sean Parsonage said: “The future of fashion design is looking bright thanks to Kate’s fresh look and her ability to think outside of the square. It’s great to see South Australian talent challenging the status quo of the eastern seaboard.”
To find out more about the Spirit of the Black Dress visit www.thespiritoftheblackdress.com.au and;
Kate Aikins label Misty Belvidere visit www.mistybelvidere.com
To find out more about TAFE SA Fashion Design courses visit www.tafesa.edu.au/fashion
Photo by John Kol jkfoto.net
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