Alisa Medina, a third year bachelor of design, fashion and technology student at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, is one of three winners of the 2012 Art Deco Chic Fashion Challenge.
The challenge, held by the Museum of Vancouver (MOV), inspires emerging fashion designers and fashion design students to submit their own Art Deco era garments for a chance of winning a $200 bursary to be used towards the creation of the garments, and a spot to display their creations at the MOV from Sept. 1-23.
Elisa has always been passionate about the arts and fashion but it wasn’t until she moved to Canada in 2008 from her native country of Ecuador that she began to pursue a career in fashion.
Taking the inspiration from MOV’s Art Deco Chic exhibit, Elisa designed a contemporary look and presented it in the form of a fashion illustration and technical flats; this required research in order to portray the Art Deco aesthetic in more depth while keeping the garments relevant to fashion trends.
“After looking at the panel of judges that chose the top entries, winning this competition is an honour,” said Medina. “It’s also great reassurance that I can utilize the skills I’ve learned at Kwantlen to work independently and professionally to accomplish a design that I am proud of. I now must translate my designs from technical flats to sewn garments, a process that involves pattern drafting, prototype development, and sewing the final pieces with a fit and finish worthy of a museum exhibit.”
The Art Deco Chic Fashion Challenge is open to fashion design students, and fashion designers graduated from a post-secondary institution in the last two years or less.
To learn more about this challenge, visit www.museumofvancouver.ca/exhibitions/upcoming/art-deco-design-challenge.