2015 Fashion Show designer spotlight: Cyprus Lingerie by Lydia Waiz

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      Raised in White Rock, Lydia Waiz, a fourth- and final-year fashion design and technology student at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, has always had an eye for beautiful designs and fabrics. Influenced by her mother and great-grandmother, she started picking fabrics and sewing her own dresses at a young age. 

      During her time at KPU, Waiz discovered her love for organic architecture through Antoni Gaudi’s work. This led her to travel Europe following some of Gaudi’s most famous designs, including the Sagrada Familia. Her line, Cyprus Lingerie, encompasses her love for architecture and fashion. 

      Cyprus Lingerie will be unveiled at the 2015 Fashion Show, presented by Tamoda Apparel, on April 9 at the River Rock Casino. Thirty-eight other lines by KPU fashion design and technology students will also be showcased. For event details, visit kpu.ca/2015fashionshow, or follow @kpu_theshow on Twitter and @theshow2015 on Instagram.

      Angely Monagas: Describe your collection. 

      LW: Cyprus Lingerie is a collection of soft-cup bras, underwear, garter belts, and robes for full-busted women. With a nod to the womanly glamour of the 1950s, the fabrics are luxurious and the designs are simple yet captivating. 

      AM: What was the inspiration behind the collection?

      LW: I was inspired by the challenge of designing and sewing lingerie to fit full-busted women. I saw a gap in this market for lingerie that is elegant and alluring. Many bras above D-cup size are focused on support: I want to offer support within a beautiful bra that makes women feel elegant and glamorous.

      Carla Benitez Lazzarotto showcases luxurious lingerie designed by fashion student Lydia Waiz.
      Taya Photography

      AM: What was your design/creative process? 

      LW: I love designing items with a purpose. For the fashion show I designed garments that would look beautiful yet would function as pieces you would choose to wear every day. A large part of my process was sourcing the fabrics for my collection. Because I created the brand and designs first, it was important to me that the fabrics reflected the luxuriousness that I envisioned. I fell in love with a beautiful silk Spandex charmeuse that I found and am using it in pieces throughout the collection.

      AM: What have you learned during your time at KPU?

      LW: When I started at KPU I had some experience with sewing but none with drafting. I had only used commercial patterns so I learned a lot within our first few drafting courses. Working with Adobe Illustrator was new to me and using it to create technical garment flats has become one of my favourite aspects of the program. I also learned about the people I study with. We each brought our own talents to the program and have been able to improve the areas we were unfamiliar with.

      AM: What are your plans after graduation?

      LW: After graduation, I’ll return to Europe to continue my exploration of design. I will be moving to Munich for a year and will pursue a career in the fashion industry during my stay.

      Angely Monagas is a final-year fashion marketing student at Kwantlen Polytechnic University.

      Comments

      1 Comments

      Maria Undurraga

      Apr 5, 2015 at 2:14pm

      What a fascinating evolution in such a young person. She shows us how art, including architecture, can be incorporated into beautiful designs for everyday lovely and very wearable garments.

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