@ Work

Aside from interning at L's, I have decided to do work experience at S. So now, I work two days a week at S and two days a week at L's. S' is more of a factory setting. He has a small shop out front where he sells fabrics (he used to sell pjs and other sleepwear) and he has a factory out back. With S, I do various stuff, such as doing pattern, cutting fabric, selling fabric, attending to customer enquiries and sewing. It's not a design house so there are no mood boards or range plans but he does the manufacturing of garments of some of the labels sold in Australia or exported to other countries.

At L's, I did two toiles (one was sewn very badly due to the fact that I have no love lost with overlockers particularly overlocking knits), gave my opinion on and even modeled his designs, did quality control, and assisted in packing his garments for delivery.

For some reason, I find it more exciting working there. It's more laidback for some reason even though I do more compared to what I do at L's. Then again, it's probably because of the time. With L's I work from afternoon to evening where my energy level is on the wane whereas I work from morning to afternoon at S.

Anyway, I'm just grateful that I'm given these opportunities to work and to learn from these people.

Internship

Yey! I got myself an internship with a designer.

He's Lui Hon, a former Australia's Project Runway contestant. I had to google him to find out who he was before I went in for interview and saw his amazing drapey looks. I liked drapes not that I'm a good draper but I like the way the clothes he made just looks so comfortable.

I went in today and just started working. Just like that. A, my former classmate, who posted the intern wanted post in facebook gave me a mini tour of the studio and told me what to do. Then Lui came in and just went through some things and already asked me to do stuff. Not stuff like making him coffee but real things for me to do. I did quality control on some garments (which I will be continuing on Wednesday) then learned how to fold a soft merino wool top properly (use white tissue paper and a board - like the boards they put on shirts so it'll hold its shape), how to pack it and how to update the list (haven't done it yet). Then he asked me to cut the fabric for the toile.

I even got to chat with him and he wasn't stingy at all with his advices and while he is honest, he also looks at the positive side of things. I'm fortunate to have arrived when he's starting his next season's clothes so I get to see how things work from start to finish (hopefully I get to see the end).

I heard he can also be a bit of a yeller but I suppose that's to be expected when things get tense and deadlines are looming.

Here are some of his clothes from his collection "Little Heroes". Photos taken by Christopher Tovo.

See more images on his website