Perhaps you've been wondering about the long absence since the last post. Well, moving to an new city requires adaptation and change. While living in Vancouver, I worked as a Director of Technical Design for Kensie. Although stressful at times, it was a very rewarding career working with a great company filled with great people. I miss the day to day collaborations and constant flow of fashion inspiration. There are things I don't miss too but although challenging, working at Kensie was a very positive experience.
Moving to "the island", has put me on a search for a new position in the Fashion Industry. To me, fashion is a very social and interactive medium. We gather cues from the people and things that surround us to get a sense of what is current, and then adopt what we find appealing and functional to our own lives. Fashion moves extremely slowly in a vacuum so I feel it necessary to stay involved, not only for the sake of In-House Patterns, but for my own personal and professional growth as well.
This search for a new opportunity in the Victoria fashion industry has required a career shift. This career shift is something I've been thinking about for a while but sort of put to the back of my mind. It is at the forefront of my mind now.
In late September, I will be teaching Pattern Making and Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) at The Pacific Design Academy. It is a role I am truly thrilled (and a bit nervous) about. While interviewing with the school in June, I had the opportunity to sit in on a couple of classes with two different instructors as they guided their students through the final days before their year end fashion show. The enthusiasm of the students and the dedication of the instructors was truly infectious.
Katrina Carreck
Christine Gallinger
Whitney Buczkowski
To view more of the students work go to: Terrance Lam Photography or check out the PDA on facebook.
Since this career shift doesn't truly take place until late September, and it is technically a part-time position, I must continue my search for employment in the fashion industry here. The reality is that I like nice things and need the wherewithal to buy them and In-House Patterns alone is an insufficient source at the moment. Although I will continue adding new patterns to the In-House Pattern line and blogging about fitting, you may find progress a bit slow while I continue my search for work and prepare for an exciting career as a fashion instructor.
On another note, I am nearly finished with the In-House Patterns office space and quite like the result. Here is a sneak peak but more photos can be found on the facebook page.
