The Jury Presentation

On Monday March 16, after a whirlwind of a year, I finally handed in my presentation. We had been warned that if the presentation wasn't in between 10am and 12pm, the entire project would receive an automatic zero. Needless to say, I was on time!

Between Tuesday and Friday, the full class then went through the jury presentation process. Our collections were judged and divided by type:

• Women's Contemporary Wear (the largest section - think classic, haute couture day wear or very contemporary)
• Men's Wear
• Eveningwear/Bridal
• Costume
• Art to Wear

My presentation was Tuesday March 17 from 3 - 3:30pm - but my day began much earlier at 8am. I thought it would be a nice touch and pick me up to bring sand-coloured macrons to the presentation for the judges (... and myself). The presentation consisted of a snack, an analysis of the collection based on construction and quality and finally, a question period.

With my collection back, I now have a week to complete my fittings with the models and make any last minute adjustments. I also need to find accessories and shoes for the show. Nearly there!

Behind the Scenes: The Photoshoot

On Sunday, an unbelievable team of individuals came together to bring my collection into fruition. With the magic of hair, makeup, lighting, a model and a sensational support team, we captured the spirit of Sable Island in spite of the snowy streets of Toronto.

My hope with this shoot was to present the five curated looks, while also illustrating the versatility of the pieces by dressing them up and down. I ended up mixing and matching twelve looks in total that collectively shared the wearable and ever-transformational story of Sable Island. Somehow, we managed to accomplish this – and five hair looks – in a mere four hours! 

Of course in order to do all this, my days were busy with ample prep work. To style the 12 looks, I pulled shoes, jewellery and accessories from stores (and my closet), and I created a few scarves out of some extra fabric. As the looks came together, I packaged it all into garment bags so that we were ready to go on Sunday at 9am!

We had the studio from 10:30am – 3pm, which meant the first hour and a half was devoted to hair and makeup. My friend Marly Levene connected me to Laurel Kotewicz from the Wire Princess for hair and makeup - and she was sensational. She transformed the hair with each outfit, transitioning it from a tight bun to a wild horses mane as we went. The makeup was as soft and dewy as I had envisioned, with natural lips, groomed brows and flawless mascara.  My model, Leslie Schumacher, was of course instrumental to the process. Her hair naturally embodies the juxtaposition of Jane Eyre and wildness, and she totally captured the spirit I envisioned.

I was delighted to have my photographer/friend, Leigh Sellner, capture yet another shoot of mine. She currently studies Photography at Sheridan College, and has been documenting my shoots along the way. I had created a backdrop with two of my Sable Island photos – one of fog and sand, one of grass and horses – that, when coupled with a fan and lighting, created pure magic.

At 10:30, we turned on the music, set up the equipment, got Leslie in her first look and began shooting. With the wonderful support of my parents and Marly, I spent an extremely full (and unforgettable) day styling Leslie, controlling the fan, and capturing the transformation of Jane. Now, I just have to wait for the final pictures!  

I owe an enormous thank you to my incredible team who helped bring my vision to life!

Next up? The fashion show!  

preparing the looks

... and the accessories

wire princess getting leslie ready

makeup by wire princess

look 1: the arrival

look 2: transformation begins

styling a versatile skirt

an alternate look for the skirt

look 3: the coat

look 3: underneath the coat

photography by Leigh Sellner

behind the scenes

an alternate sand-inspired look

capturing sable island

look 5: immersed.

the versatility of the pants

Labels & Sewing the Final Collection

A sign of getting near to the end of this process has been making my own labels. Using Photoshop, I designed a label using my logo and printed them with Spoonflower - the same company where my printed fabrics are from.

With labels in place, it was then time to start sewing my final collection! Having edited and finalized my printed fabric, I placed the final order through Spoonflower. I then worked on finalizing and making changes to the patterns according to what I learned through the muslin fitting process. With all the fabric collected, I then pre-shrank the fabric and cut out the final patterns with my good fabric. From there, it was simply a process of sewing the final pieces! I cannot wait to move onto seeing the full collection come together through working with a model, creating a look book and of course, the final fashion show!

It all feels especially real given that tickets for the show are finally on sale! Follow this link to pick up yours!