What do you think was the most valuable thing you learnt?
McKenzie: Our top priority throughout the design process was addressing each criteria that had been set for us and not get carried away by grand ideas. Part of the brief was to design a collection of uniforms that spanned over five areas of work. So, it was important to design uniforms that were cohesive as a team, but distinguishable in their respective areas of work. We took a lot of inspiration from the precinct itself and those subtle design details were obviously appreciated by Melbourne and Olympic Parks Trust. In the initial stages of conceptualising ideas for the uniforms Talia and I walked through the precinct and really documented our observations, down to the shade of blue of the tennis courts, which we later used for the Patron Services polo shirt. Triangular design was a theme used throughout our uniform's designs, seen in the print and sleeve head, inspired by the architecture of AAMI Park and John Cain arena.
Rubenstein: This experience taught us about working with a large-scale client and designing garments that would need to fit and flatter different body types. We had to make sure our designs were practical and comfortable for all day wear.
What was your favourite part of the project?
McKenzie: I had so much fun working with Talia, and while naturally it was a very stressful and labour intense project, we were happy to give our time to a project we felt passionate about. I personally love structure within design, so being able to work to a brief of that scale and gravitas was an environment that I really thrived in. Ultimately the best part of this experience has been seeing the final uniforms come to life, and beautifully executed by the team at Cargo Crew. Cargo Crew did a fantastic job of keeping the integrity of our concept and designs down to the smallest detail.
Rubenstein: I really enjoyed the design process and working towards an industry brief. It was our first industry experience and I really enjoyed working with Melbourne and Olympic Parks and Cargo Crew as they were so passionate about the project and encouraging of us. Cargo Crew really executed our designs perfectly and we feel like our voices were really heard in this project.
The design of the new Melbourne and Olympic Park uniform was a collaborative effort, initiated by an M&OP-led Industry Partnered Project with RMIT’s School of Fashion and Textiles. The students’ winning designs were produced by Cargo Crew.
Story: Saskia Kostic
