Anna Takala, Year 11
With the Stuco fashion show coming up this week, I’m thinking back to all the things I’ve done, and all the things I need to do. The stress is mixed with excitement, and I know I need to get cracking on all the things I need to finish. But at the same time, I’m reminiscing, thinking of all my memories that I associate to my sewing machine, to a needle pulling thread, to a simple piece of fabric.
I’ve been sewing and designing since I can remember. I started off with the same things every child does in reception, sewing onto cardboard to make a picture. My passion really started there. I loved making those cards, I made them for every family birthday I could, and I would pester my mother to make templates for me to work on. I adored it. It grew from there as I got older. In third grade, I joined a sewing club where we made little stuffed animals including a crocodile and a panda. I still have them as reminders of what I used to be. I soon began to sew on my own, to make cute little things as presents… it wasn’t too long until I then got an American Girl doll, with just one outfit: an incentive to make more little outfits for the doll. I made hundreds of tiny dresses, ball-gowns, 60’s style outfits, little jackets and handbags, some rock and roll style things, basically anything I could think of. I was never tought how to really make clothes. I just guessed, made more mistakes than you could count, and figured it out along the way. I still do that today, as I’m making clothes for myself.
My mother belives in the traditional way of learning how to sew: read the books, watch the videos, and then start. But I don’t see the fun in that. I do what I want, how I want, and always end up with a product unlike one you’ve seen before. It’s done my way. That in my opinion is a part of being a designer. Sure, anyone can be a seamstress, making a dress is really quite easy; but to come up with an unusual way of doing it allows you to come up with new designs that don’t have existing methods.
My outfits are always inspired by the cloth: when I see or feel a textile, it speaks to me. When I walk into the fabric story, I often don’t have a plan in mind. I just go for it. I use unconventional fabrics too, like furniture textiles or ribbon when I’m really bored. It just creates a new look.
This week, for the first time, I have the opportunity ot share my work. I’m really nervous, I have no idea how people are going to respond to it. Maybe, from afar, they won’t see the details, or the special things that make my work my own. Or maybe they won’t see the hours of hard work I’ve put into it, and just think, “huh, that’s kinda mediocre”. But this is my passion. It’s what I want to do.
My models are all incredibly brave. I would never have the guts to walk out in front of who knows how many people to show a piece of clothing. They will bring life to my work, which is all I can ask for.
All in all, I cannot wait for this experience, and I wish to experience it with you, so come on over to the art center on Friday to see the joined talent and fashion show.
