A project requiring Fashion students to map Melbourne’s Greek, Polish, Italian, British and German-Austrian tailoring diasporas was important in honouring and respecting the tradition of tailoring, according to Fashion Lecturer for RMIT’s School of Architecture and Design, Sue Thomas.
They related on a very human scale to stories behind migration, which gave them a better understanding of Melbourne and its history and what they’re contributing to and are a part of.
In an exhibition last Saturday, at Melbourne’s Immigration museum, four of the 19 Fashion students involved in the project from RMIT University presented garments based on maps of Melbourne’s Greek tailoring diasporas.
Ms Thomas told Neos Kosmos the event was well attended, especially by various members of the fashion industry, including Dom Bagnato,
Nicola Ricci, and Chief Executive Officer of The Council of Textile & Fashion Industries of Australia (TFIA) Jo-Ann Kellock.
“We were very pleased with the exhibition, the students were happy with their work, they were a bit exhausted by this stage but pleased with the event,” she said.
“I think the project was very successful this year, the students responded well to the stimuli of talking to real living people,” Ms Thomas said, adding “lots of students themselves are international or have an international background so they related on a very human scale to stories behind migration, which gave them a better understanding of Melbourne and its history and what they’re contributing to and are a part of.”
Ms Thomas said the intimacy and personality of tailoring was demonstrated through the student’s research.
“I believe it gets students to honour and respect the tradition of tailoring.
“Every diaspora has its own tailoring industry, and it’s the idea of an artisan craft being continued that is very important.”