Future fashion stars shine

RMIT fashion students will once again be counted among the industry’s most innovative emerging designers at Melbourne Fashion Week’s annual student runway.

Twenty students from the Bachelor of Fashion (Design) (Honours) will be exhibiting their collections alongside other innovative young designers from top design schools at the centrepiece runway at Melbourne Town Hall on Sunday night.

Now in its 14^th year, Town Hall runway 2 – Student Collections has become a staple at Melbourne Fashion Week (M/FW), giving fashion aficionados a tantalising glimpse at the next generation of design talent.

Final-year students Jordyn Smith and Emily Watson are among the ‘ones to watch’ from the RMIT cohort.

Designs from Jordyn Smith's collection 'Fashion's Prometheus'.

Active relaxation, Watson’s collection, took a playful approach on ‘new leisure’ dressing, using re-contextualised motifs to bring a classic cruise collection into a contemporary setting.

Smith’s design approach stemmed from an interest in sustainability and storytelling through nostalgia.

She used a base of a range of found objects and imagery for her project Fashion’s Prometheus, a process she fondly referred to as “Frankenstein-ing.”

Both students are in the running for the M/FW Student Award, which recognises a student’s excellence in research and development, innovation, construction and future potential, and will be announced on the night.

RMIT alumnus Helena Dong was announced as the recipient of the award in 2018, for her ‘Choose your own adventure’ inspired collection.

Designs from Emily Watson's collection 'Active relaxation'.

The Specsavers Young Innovator Design Competition winner will also be revealed on the night, with fourth-year Bachelor of Fashion (Design) (Honours) student Ryley Wilson in the mix for the award.

School of Fashion and Textiles Associate Dean - Industry Engagement Kiri Delly said the event was a fantastic night for the students and the wider community.

“Events such as Melbourne Fashion Week provide great opportunities for the diverse fashion industry and related sectors to connect, reflect, present and celebrate,” she said.

“They provide platforms for all levels of the sector – from student designers to emerging, independent to established; as well as other related fields such as film, entertainment, beauty and art to consider, discuss and participate in core industry focuses such as diversity, accessibility, sustainability and business.”

Students from the Holmesglen Institute, Box Hill Institute, Whitehouse Institute of Design, The Masters Institute for Creative Education, and Kangan Institute will also feature in the runway.

This year, the runway extends beyond Australia and will also feature pieces by students from Ueda College of Fashion from Melbourne’s sister city, Osaka.

Story: Jasmijn van Houten

Art, Design and Culture

30 August 2019

Art, Design and Culture

30 August 2019

Design
fashion

Engage

Contact RMIT News

Find an expert

Study with us

Related News

Students weave plan for sustainable fashion future

The inaugural Fashion & Textiles Youth Assembly brought students together from across the School of Fashion and Textiles on Tuesday to discuss the state of the current and future fashion industry.

‘I had no choice but to quit study and save my life’: A Syrian refugee’s road to graduation

Seven years after she was first accepted into dental school in Syria, Sidori Younan finally graduated at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium in December, where she joined graduands from across RMIT’s vibrant global network.

Passion and talent on show at fashion graduate showcase

Inflatable clothing, suits embedded with a secret code, and a luxury aesthetic from plastic bags were some of the innovative creations showcased at the opening of MPavilion.