Tegan Kennedy just graduated from CIT with the Bachelor of Design/Fashion and her clothing label Beau & Arrow. Tegan’s talent and design eye saw her score the title OutInCanberra’s Favourite Designer, as voted by you. What’s next for this young local designer? Stay tuned to find out…
Wednesday 18th March 2009
Dear OutInCanberra,
This February has been a month of preparations for me, and a month of decisions.
After struggling throughout January, and worrying about my plans for the rest of the year, I have finally come up with a plan.
As summer comes to an end, I myself am preparing for the European summer, with my departure only two months away. I have made the decision, to not stay in Europe, but to return to Canberra after my travels with (hopefully) my diary full of sketches and my head full of inspiration.
This will leave me with the rest of the year to plan my collection, which will be ready for Autumn/Winter 2010. I must admit that I am incredibly nervous to give starting my own label a go, but I believe that it is a risk worth taking.
I spent almost two hours last week, looking for a new visual diary, to symbolise the beginning of my new design process. Being a left-hander, I struggle to use many things; one of these being spiral bound books.
I am also the annoying person who moves the computer mouse to the left hand side of the desk. I gave up and bought the spiral bound diary, but decided to start writing from the back.
I have begun to map out the next few months, including my goals, and the steps I need to take to reach them.
I promised last month that I would have started sewing again, and I have not broken my promise.
The upcoming Black Opal Stakes gave me a good reason to get back in the studio and design myself an amazing frock. I’ve always found the races somewhat magical. It is rare to find a social occasion which still maintains the traditions of generations past.
I spend a great deal of time observing people, and I find this is a great opportunity to see Canberra’s best (and most definitely worst) dressed ladies and gentlemen.
Although I arrived too late to enter fashions on the field, I had a beautiful day in the sun.
So for the month of March I plan to apply for Project Runway Australia(more about that in the next issue) and continue sewing. Until next month, be good, dress well and enjoy the rest of the summer sun!
Wednesday 28th January 2009
Dear OutInCanberra,
Two important events have happened to me in the first month of 2009. The first of which was receiving my very own industrial sewing machine. The second was my return to the studio. By return, I mean that I walked in there, looked around at the mess that surrounded me and then quickly left, shutting the door behind me.
After the excitement of graduation settled, many of my conversations with family and friends ended up with the million dollar question being asked – “So, what now?” I pity the next person who speaks those three words to me.
Decisions have never been my forte, I struggle to choose what to eat when out for dinner, which makes understandable the trouble I am having deciding what to do with my first year of freedom.
I have been avoiding my studio like the plague, knowing the first I will have to clean it up, and then I will need to start working in it again.
My new sewing machine arrived in my studio in early January. When I say arrived, I mean that my father and I struggled for a few hours to move it off the trailer and into the studio. Here is a sneak peak of my beloved new toy. (see image right)
So far, my plans for 09 include; travelling to Europe in May, starting to design my follow up collection to Beau & Arrow my graduating line, and getting some work experience- hopefully overseas!
So apart from avoiding my studio (and my nearest and dearest’s probing questions), what have I been doing this month? I have been working day and night, running between two jobs to save for my long awaited trip overseas.
Not very exciting I know, but it is keeping me busy, leaving me no time to ponder my existence in the big bad world.
I promise by the time I write again, I will be back in the studio, I will have christened my new toy- and have photographic evidence to prove it.
Tegan xoxo
