The new designer graduates from Raffles College of Design and Commerce joined The Design Residency for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia 2016. This was an opportunity for Australia’s emerging designers to kick-start their own labels in a very public way.
The unique partnership between design school Raffles and The Design Residency was launched in 2016. Spearheaded by industry icon, Lorraine Lock, The Design Residency is one of Australia’s leading emerging fashion and design incubators.
Seven Raffles alumni students unveiled their collections for MBFWA 2016 at the Raffles International Showcase at Carriageworks. The partnership with The Design Residency enables students to preview their designs to media and industry whilst receiving business mentoring in a dynamic retail / showroom environment – before, during and after Fashion Week.
“This is the first time such a program has been undertaken between Raffles College and The Design Residency. It provides an incredible opportunity for the students,” said Nick Comino, Program Manager for Fashion Design at Raffles College of Design and Commerce. “The mentoring provided by The Design Residency adds another dimension to the education and support that Raffles College provides to not only its students, but to its alumni as well.”
The Design Residency nurtures, mentors and provides valuable growth opportunities for emerging Australian designers in fashion, jewellery, lighting, product and textile design. Supported by the City of Sydney Council through its short-term empty properties program, The Design Residency is open at 72 Oxford St, Darlinghurst where a pop-up shop promotes new designers to the general public. You can meet the designers and buy new products before other retailers and fashion buyers.
“The Design Residency was launched as a direct result of market needs – to nurture young designers, to help them develop their brands to maturity, to help them protect their ideas, to help them navigate the world of sales, marketing and PR, to workshop, to connect with the media and industry players who can help them,” said Lorraine Lock. “We’re really looking forward to working with the Raffles designers and helping them at this crucial stage in their emergence into the fashion world.”
Since joining the official MBFWA program in 2011, the Raffles International Showcase has been widely recognised by the industry as one of the most important and entertaining events on the Sydney emerging fashion calendar. Each of the Raffles College designers will showcase a 10-piece ready-to-wear Resort collection for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week 2016. Collections include innovative women’s wear, contemporary menswear, couture design, and tailoring.
Designers showing at the Raffles International Showcase and The Design Residency include:
- Anne de la Motte
- Chad Nguyen
- Jennyfer Alonzo
- Leah Williams
- Gemma Saccasan
- Iva Pfeiffer
- Queency Yustiawan
Read the article and listen to the interview with Lorraine Lock and The Design Residency here on Don’t Call Me Penny, and see more of Gemma Saccasan’s designs and listen to her interview over on our sister site, The Style Podcast. Plus, Lara Cross launches ICONOSCOPY at The Design Residency pop-up shop with an homage to music icons.
