Riverside’s Textiles 11/12 class attended the VCC Fashion Show on September 20th. Students used this as an opportunity to draw inspiration or learn more about the fashion industry, whether it was from a designing aspect or production creation.
Angela Leung, one of the designer graduates of VCC, explained why she thinks students get attracted to fashion.
“Most people see fashion as fashion designers, but actually the fashion industry is really big,” said Leung. “There’s pattern-makers, textiles, that kind of thing. When you enter in a program at a school, you will see that there’s a lot more opportunities than just becoming a designer. So, for me in the beginning, when I entered the school I wanted to become a designer. But after the two-year program, I became more interested in the production side, I wanted to become a pattern maker.”
Leung also said that if students are nervous about taking up fashion, they should make appointments to see VCC instructors or program coordinators, as it will help calm them down.
Ms. Jacquelyn Collins, the teacher for Textiles 11/12, explained about why it was important for students to attend this field trip.
“The field trip was to attend the VCC Graduate fashion show, which displayed different designers’ styles,” said Collins. “It was an opportunity for my students to see a graduate’s portfolio. It was also an opportunity for my students to see how fashion design works in the real world. I felt it would be inspirational, informative, and that it would assure them that they can do a multitude of different styles in their ideas.”
One of the Grade 12 students who attended the show, Paige Allan, expressed her enjoyment over watching the fashion show and noting the different techniques and styles she saw on the runway. She then went on to explain as to why she decided to take the course in the first place.
“I decided to take this course because I’m really interested in the arts,” said Allan. “I’ve already taken courses already so I thought it would be really cool if I could expand my knowledge on art and took some other courses like fashion design.”
She also added on as to what experience she and the other students took away from the watching the fashion show.
“Mostly what the students and I took away is inspiration, because we’re just starting out in fashion design and I feel like what we really need is a lot of inspiration. So, seeing that fashion show was a really great experience for all of us.”
The Vancouver Community College fashion show has been a staple of the school for 30 years. The college itself is the largest and oldest in British Columbia, with over 140 certificate and diploma programs.
