Last month, the City of Vincent worked alongside local fashion designers, boutiques and the Perth Fashion Festival on its first fringe fashion event.
‘Constellations’ had the town and surrounding area’s young designers, stylists, hair dressers and make-up artists combine to pull off a laneway runway show, complete with live music. The event also featured pop-up fashion stalls and punters tried their luck on a ‘jewellery skill-tester.’
Mayor Alannah MacTiernan said the event was a celebration of fashion and beauty.
“Fashion is an economic and cultural driver in Vincent and we are out there promoting our businesses, along with our homegrown stars of tomorrow,” she said.
Sarah Eastcott from Ara Designs showed off her unique jewellery at the event, made from mechanical bits and pieces she’s discovered at the hardware store.She took a few minutes to catch up with Joe Cassidy to answer a few questions and show OUTinPerth what she’s got.
What sorts of materials do you like to use in your designs and where do you find them?
I tend to use found objects in my designs, or things that are not often considered ‘beautiful.’ I like to walk around the hardware store and try to imagine different ways of using certain objects and how I could transform them into something wearable. I also love to hand-dye fabrics and always incorporate that into my work.
Where do you draw inspiration for your work?
My jewellery started as a University project about three years ago and I’ve been evolving the style since then. I have always been quite fascinated with ink blot patterns and used those kind of forms a lot during my degree. I’m always looking at fashion blogs and buying magazines and I think each range I create is usually reflective of whatever trends have caught my eye at the time. Most often, something just pops into my head and I roll with it!
What do you do in real life?
I did a jewellery making unit while studying fashion and textile design at Curtin University. A stylist friend of mine borrowed my pieces from a past project and encouraged me to make more and so I started Ara early last year. During the day I work as a makeup artist at Lauren Wood in Mount Lawley. I have always been creative, my Mum is an artist and always encouraged me to paint, draw and make things. She also studied fashion when she was younger and has always inspired me to be creative.
Email sarah@aralove.com.au
Joe Cassidy
