Fashion Student Spotlight: Venessa Clarke's Brilliant Blush exudes vibrant warmth
By Shyan Owtram
When Venessa Clarke moved to Vancouver, she was unaccustomed to the region’s grey and rainy weather. Originally from Toronto, she developed seasonal affective disorder, a depression associated with a lack of exposure to sunlight.
Clarke learned to deal with the winter season by incorporating bright, vibrant colours into her wardrobe. Her collection Brilliant Brush, her final project in Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s fashion design and technology program, is designed around the concept that colours can spread light and warmth when the weather is cold.
Brilliant Brush will be unveiled at 2016 The Show: The Final Cut, presented by Tamoda Apparel Inc., on April 6 and 7 at the Imperial Vancouver (319 Main Street). Thirty-five other lines by Kwantlen Polytechnic University fashion design and technology students will also be showcased.
All five shows have now sold out. For event details, visit kpu.ca/2016fashionshow, or follow @kpu_fashion on Twitter and @kputheshow on Instagram.
Shyan Owtram: Describe your collection.
Venessa Clarke: Brilliant Brush is a collection of bright winter coats for women who love colours. They love to stand out, be different, and might also use colours to help brighten their day.
SO: What was the inspiration behind your line?
VC: I have drawn a lot from my own life since moving here. I noticed that I changed my wardrobe in order to deal with the completely different weather patterns here. I get really depressed when the rainy season comes, but I learned that I could use colours to help brighten things up.
SO: Can you tell me about your creative process?
VC: Depending on what I’m working on I like to go out for a walk to find inspiration. I sometimes grab it from the things I like to watch on TV. Once settled on an idea, I like to build a Pinterest board to help with the visual process. This way I can develop a mood, a theme and a colour scheme. From there, I move on to the design element and start drawing images.
SO: What aspect of design are you most passionate about?
VC: I love working on a design after a season, colour and target market has been chosen. The fun part for me is working on creating the designs. Sewing is fun because I get to see the finished product and knowing that everything that I did worked.
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