Frederic Chopin and Kurt Cobain. Not the most obvious musical bedfellows, but together they provided a major dose of inspiration for Nocturnes, the 2017 Blanche Macdonald Fashion Design Graduate Show, held for the second year in succession in the spectacular Grand Ballroom at the historic Hotel Vancouver.
“In the weeks leading up to the show I was listening to a lot of Chopin,” explained Fashion Director Tyler Udall. “He composed many Nocturnes, which is a word typically used to describe a poetic scene set at night. It seemed like a good fit.”
Nocturnes delivered a night to remember, as 30 designers from destinations as diverse as China, Syria, South Korea and Kelowna dazzled Vancouver with their debut collections.
“This group came into the program with an openness and curiosity about design that superseded any of the other groups I have been privileged enough to work with,” continued Tyler. “They took direction well and dived deep into anything new that was introduced to them. Those are the kinds of students that are particularly fun to nurture. You keep setting a bar higher and higher for them, and they keep rising to the occasion. And beyond!
“Seeing the students buzzing after the show is always a treat for me. They are under a lot of pressure building up to the show so as you can imagine the tension levels are high. Seeing them relax and relish in their accomplishments is a very pleasant experience.”
One of those students relishing the evening was Vancouver’s own Hannah Eriksson, who finished her year at Blanche Macdonald on a high by being named as the deserving winner of the prestigious Overall Achievement Award. Sitting down to catch her breath towards the end of a historic evening, Nocturnes proved to be a fitting conclusion to an emotional year of creative discovery.
“It was surreal and overwhelming seeing my collection on the runway,” she explained. “My collection went from one extreme to another: from functional to art-based clothing. I put way too many functional things on the garments, to the point where they were no longer utilitarian. The strongest theme in my collection is repetition, which wasn’t the original plan at all. I called it Elated Exhaustion. It’s inspired by the emotions of being incredibly tired and incredibly excited. I think what sets me apart from other designers is my willingness to go through with ridiculous designs, probably due to my inability to see the future and the turmoil I’m about to put myself through because I’m easily blinded by excitement. One thing that has become evident to me about my design style is that I’m torn between playfulness and severity, which I believe to be true to my personality.
“It was such an enjoyable year. The Fashion Design program takes you through every emotion. There were late nights and resistance on my part, accompanied by an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment when I was able to step back and see what I’d done. I told Sara Armstrong I was going to drop out three months into the program. She convinced me to stay. She was shocked and told me that I was good. That was incredibly encouraging and understanding. I made myself a promise that I would try. I pushed through that and started enjoying every aspect of the program.”
The combination of emotion, hard work and eventual triumph was echoed by Hannah’s colleague, Edmonton’s Niki Pasini, who ended the evening with three awards, recognized for Special Achievement in Pattern-Making, Garment Construction and Academic Excellence.
“Tonight was surreal,” she admitted. “A year ago I was living in Prince Edward Island working in a bridal shop. I wanted to do more of my own design work, rather than working on other people’s designs. My sister had taken Fashion Marketing at Blanche Macdonald and had an amazing experience so I knew what I was getting into.
“All my instructors were amazing: so full of knowledge and willing to help, while still giving you the freedom to develop your own ideas and try things your own way. You don’t want people coddling you, which is why I loved drawing class. Lisa Gellert is amazing. She pushes you. I worked a lot. One of these looks I stayed up for 24 hours straight finishing it.”
For Niki, the wonders of discovering fabrics and the architecture in her new city provided dual inspirations for a memorable debut collection.
“My focus was exploring textures and developing fabrics, then translating those ideas into garments. I love the satisfaction of seeing a garment that is beautifully constructed inside and out. I really wanted to create clothing that would be empowering for anyone to wear that regardless of your size or gender, you could style it in a way that feels authentic.
“From my apartment I can see Yaletown and Downtown Vancouver. The layers and glass started me thinking about light travelling through layers and how it changes with transparency and opacity. I took some sketches to Tyler and he said, run with it!”
Tyler Udall’s impeccable influence was felt in every aspect of Nocturnes. In addition to offering his expert eye to assist every new designer, his vision helped shape the look and feel of a runway show where vastly different collections needed to be embraced by unifying hair and makeup looks.
“As always, the hair and makeup treatments were a collaboration with our amazing instructors Lisa Callender and Jon Hennessey,” continued Tyler. “The initial references I brought to them as our creative point of departure were some random images sourced from the belly of the Internet. I’d been thinking a lot about Studio 54 and what a modern take on that kind of energy would be. I was also feeling nostalgic and Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ video kept popping into my head. There’s one slightly gothy cheerleader in that video that always felt as if she was the coolest person you could ever hang out with. Those red tinsel pompoms make my heart happy. I guess throw all those elements into a pot, sprinkle them with modernity, and what you have is our beauty treatment for the 2017 Show.”
“The beauty direction for the Fashion Show evolves over the course of a series of photo shoots leading up to the show itself,” added Jon Hennessey. “Tyler and I have collaborated on a couple of shoots with KT Auleta over the past few months alongside Makeup Artist Kendahl Jung and Hairstylist Freddy Sim. The looks all included graphic line work, neon and glitter.
“We discussed early on that the direction should be graphic in design, but unique to the individual model. No two looks were the same on the night. Each model had a bold linear shape accented with a neon or ‘pop’ colour. The skin was ultra-hydrated and the rest of the face was left relatively bare. This was the first time that I’d had the opportunity to work with this assemblage of Artists and it was a phenomenal team. Becca Randall, Kendahl Jung, Nicole Leisher, Alexandra Zenchuk, Maria Walton, Kiki Xiang and Evelyn Affleck are all very talented artists, any of who could have led the show. The show always has a fun atmosphere. It’s a showcase for the next wave of design talent and we’re happy to be a part of celebrating in their success.”
That celebratory spirit was shared by Key Hair Artist Lisa Callender.
“Once Tyler emailed me photos of looks that he wanted to go with I went into creative Christmas mode,” she smiled. “We could have gone with professional high heat extensions but I instead I got creative in Canadian Tire’s Christmas department and we curled and waved them into the models’ hair. We used regular tinsel, not meant for hair at all. It was like decorating a tree.”
Aided by a team of current Blanche Macdonald hair students, Lisa ensured that all 20 models hit the runway oozing drama and high fashion.
“I needed students who could work quickly and get stuff done while taking direction. I held an open audition so all the students so everyone had the chance to compete for a spot on the team and chose Kathleen Casimer, Lynel Probe, Kristen Cook and Jessica Nickoriuk. It came down to how quickly they could do what was needed.
“Tonight went very smoothly. I take charge and run the ship. We need direct, clear communication. At the end of the night my team left a note for me. It says, ‘Lisa, we out. Love you!’ That’s their feedback!”
For Fashion Department Executive Co-Director Peggy Morrison this graduate show was the 27th of her glorious tenure at Blanche Macdonald.
“I thought this was an exceptional year. There was some brilliant work and this was a very strong year for technical skill. Having three students win Honourable Mention Awards tells you how strong this group was. Niki Pasini in particular was well deserving of her three Special Achievement Awards. If the audience could see Niki's collection up close they would notice the true couture detail. They’d be very impressed with the workmanship.
“I always love the fact that we have such a wide range of directions and ideas. We're not a school that tries to put everyone in the same box and that’s always been a tremendous source of pride for all of us at Blanche Macdonald.”
Along with this year’s incredible designers the success of Nocturnes was a tribute to the hard work of the staff at Blanche Macdonald, with special mention due to the inspirational leadership of President Lily Lim, the endless efforts of Executive Program Directors Peggy Morrison and Donna Baldock, Fashion Director Tyler Udall, Creative Director Kelly Schmidt, and Career Director, Fashion Department Mel Watts. Endless thanks must also go to Instructors Sara Armstrong, Lisa Gellert, Dana Johnson, Matthew Burditt, Lyndi Barrett, Carlie Wong, Wanda Sustersich, and Morgan Mallett, Lab Assistants Kari Appelquist, Joy Nickerson and Anahita Monzavi, Associate Marketing Director Natasha Eng, Social Media and Marketing Coordinators Rheanna Miller, Allie Samborn and Jacky Le, Social Media and Creative Content Coordinators Kendahl Jung and Mohamed Ali Ibrahim.
Infinite gratitude too, must be given to the backstage team, led by Tyler Udall, Sara Armstrong, Kelly Schmidt, stylist Leila Bani, her assistant Sanja Kovacevic and a team of volunteers from the Fashion Design and Fashion Marketing programs. While Key Makeup Artist Jon Hennessey, Key Hair Stylist Lisa Callender and Nail Artists Patricia Grant and Leigha Fane, along with a team of volunteer grads and students ensured the models looked as spectacular as the collections. Huge thanks also to our fabulous emcees Jaylene Tyme and Jane Smoker, and DJ Hana Pesut (Sincerely Hana) for providing an amazing soundtrack to the night.
The entire team at Blanche Macdonald would also like to extend its sincerest gratitude to our corporate sponsors, Make Up For Ever, Oribe, Mine & Yours and Townshoes along with huge thanks to our colleagues at CurliQue Beauty for putting our guests’ goody-bags together.
Full List of Award Winners
Special Achievement in Illustration: Kari Hong and Daynah Notting
Special Achievement in Innovation in Surface Texture: Jenine Smith
Honourable Mention for Design: Pengfei Lai
Special Achievement in Pattern Making: Niki Pasini
Special Achievement in Garment Construction: Niki Pasini
Honourable Mention for Pattern Making: Aisha Kaliel, Daynah Notting and Annabell (InHua) Yang
Honourable Mention for Garment Construction: Aisha Kaliel, Daynah Notting and Annabell (InHua) Yang
Academic Achievement: Niki Pasini
Honourable Mention for Academic Achievement: Semiha Abdullah Inan
Overall Achievement and Special Achievement in Portfolio Presentation: Hannah Eriksson