TJ champions diversity through fashion course project

Holmesglen fashion student TJ Van Der Meulen will see their creative vision come to life at the Victorian Training Awards.

TJ was announced as the winner of a design competition, which invited emerging fashion designers to create a wrap for the Minister for Higher Education, Gayle Tierney MP, to wear at as part of the award celebrations.

Inspired by the LGBTQIA+ community, TJ used the LGBTQIA+ flags and the 2017 Philadelphia Progressive Pride flag as the catalysts for their garment.

“The LGBTQIA+ community is such a loud and proud bunch of people. I really wanted to shine a light on the smaller groups of people within the community that are much less known or spoken about.”

“Giving movement in the design, not only with the silk charmeuse element, but also within the flat design is a way to show how fluid this community is with their gender expression and sexuality,” TJ said in their creative brief.

As an MST40222 Certificate IV in Apparel and Fashion learner, TJ has learned from the fashion course’s four main study areas: fashion design, fashion styling, basic sewing, and apparel, fashion, and textiles.

Fashion teacher Anna Whitehall enjoyed supporting TJ in the fashion workshops as they developed their skills in computer literacy, interpreting briefs and CAD design.

“Real-world projects such as this one provide opportunities for students to practice their skills in a supported environment.”

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