Last Wednesday (Oct 10th) was the launch of Concept to Collection, a Fashion installation that will be on display for three weeks (Oct 10-30th) at Melbourne’s GPO building on Bourke Street.

What is Concept to Collection?

Concept to Collection an initiative by the Design Cluster, it is run by Jane Hayes Consulting, with the support of the Council of Textile and Fashion Industries of Australia (TFIA). The Design Cluster’s focus is to support Australian designers through their business development and training.

The idea of the installation is to give the general public an insight into the Fashion design process, it gives a behind-the-scenes look into how everything comes together to make a fashion collection. Included in the installation are design sketches, sewing patterns, fastenings- right up to the finished product. It also showcases two of the designers’ collaborative outfits, one at each end of the installation.

The Designers

Sonya Kraan- Sonya Kraan is a Melbourne based fashion designer that focuses on creating beautifully crafted women’s wear tailoring with hidden functionality and transformability. Her Debut collection ‘Riding with the Storm Clouds’ AW 2012 was inspired by the torturous effects of migraine disease.

Anna Cowen– Anna Cowen launched the Melbourne based jewellery label Edenborough Evans in 2009. Delivering the elegance and innovation of Australian design to the rest of the world is the designer’s dream, and one that is fast becoming a reality.

Jacki Anderson- Jacki Anderson is a Melbourne based handbag and accessory designer, she has always had an affinity with Fashion. With an eye for detail and quality it has taken years of sourcing and sampling the perfect blend of leathers, hardware and craftsmanship to create her luxury Australian made handbags.

Christina Exie– Christina Exie is a Melbourne based designer who creates avant garde pieces for women. Her works’ have endured an intense design developmental process; extensive research into an idea to form a concept, intricately detailed pattern making, mostly hand constructed with the use of sculpture, hand stitching and molding techniques which are all finished with precision.

The featured designers each have their own QR code under their installation descriptions. People can ‘scan’ the codes with their smartphones or tablets to read more about each of the exhibiting designers. (download a QR code reader from the app. store)

XO XO Evelyn

Photos copyright by Melissa Butters Photography.