Shimmering Sherraine ...
Published:Monday | July 15, 2013 | 12:00 AM
Krysta Anderson, Gleaner Writer
Twenty-year-old Sherraine Phillips, discovered her inner fashionista and unleashed the fashion designer in her out of her sheer love of art. "I've always loved art and creating beautiful things, so fashion design is another way for me to get the creative energy out."
Phillips is one of the three finalists competing in the Flair Magazine's Passion for Fashion. Without any formal training, Phillips thrives solely on passion, teaching herself to sew about a year ago. She told Flair, "I have never studied in the field, but I would love to expand my knowledge and improve my skills through formal education."
Conducting her own research, she sought knowledge from a few pioneer fashion designers, who have made a positive impact on her life and her aspiring fashion-designing career, "There are no specific designers I admire - I'm inspired by numerous designers. I especially love designers who turn fashion into art. So the names Balmain, Mary Katrantzou, Proenza Schouler and Alexander McQueen would have to be mentioned."
Balmain, she explained, uses a lot of embellishment, heavy material, and is very detailed in his designs, creating a complex look and making a production out of it, which she loves. She is inspired by Katrantzou's originality, as she designs from prints that she creates. These prints, she says, are very intricate and she values the fact that she starts from scratch. She loves Schouler's use of reflective material, thinking outside the box, adding splashes of colour and print to the lines as well. McQueen, she affirms, is the main designer who transforms fashion into works of art, using the avant-garde in a unique way, considering too the complete look instead of just focusing on the piece itself.
Female elegance
Her design for the competition, she explains, was inspired by female elegance. "I didn't know which particular direction I was going with my design, but I was told to aim for casual and elegant, which I did. Normally, based on my observation, designers go all out, but it's not practical, so I toned it down to make it wearable, while keeping elegance in the general scheme of the design of course." Her main challenge was selecting just one design out of the many ideas she had.
The youthfully exuberant designer described her personal style as dynamic, varying and reflective of her mood, "One day I'm colourful and earthy and the next I'm in a full black look," she explains, noting that her personal style is evident in her designs. "The aspects of my personal style that are reflected in this piece are the attention to fit and wearability."
Phillips reveals that her journey to the finals had been both thrilling and fulfilling. "Being one of the three finalists validates that I can become a strong designer. Initially, I was not very hopeful that I would make it this far, and being able to participate is very gratifying. Winning the competition would prove to myself that I can be successful creatively."
Her immediate plan is to win the competition, with her long-term goal being to work hard in breaking into the fashion industry. "I deserve to win because I value art, not just fashion or design. I pay attention to the overall aesthetic feeling that a garment holds, and winning this would not only help financially, but would give me a boost and the reassurance that the creative field is where I belong."