The women we met in the tailoring unit, completely set up and ran by women, are such powerhouses! They are driven, patient, incredible at what they do and so open to sharing their stories with us. I felt so inspired by their hard work and independence in a climate where there are endless barriers to women’s employment and financial independence. Discussions around marriage were very eye-opening, as in this culture, getting married young and having to rely on the husband financially is common. It was inspiring to see these women of all ages challenging these norms and we were encouraged by all to become financially independent and provide for ourselves.
We spent the week learning the process from design to a completed product of a fashion collection. This proved to be quite the challenge for me, as I have no experience in this area, let alone ever thinking of myself as doing anything with fashion. However, this proved to be such a fun experience in learning new skills in design, communicating with tailors and perseverance.
Although I had done a (slightly terrible) drawing of my design, for some reason I had thought that the tailors would immediately know what I meant or what was going on in my head. I was very wrong (which is completely on me). With the language barrier and no experience in communicating a design, I had to be patient and quickly adapt my communication style, using reference images and clearer sentences to successfully get my idea of a wrap skirt across. I really enjoyed collaborating with my collection partner@Yoshino Homma , as her creativity and actual skill in drawing is fab. I am so grateful to the tailors for being patient and persevering with our designs, as everyone’s was crafted so beautifully and it was such an amazing opportunity to be creative! I felt so energised and uplifted after working with Asha and honestly she is such a role model for young women.
A stunning boat trip exploring the backwaters was a lovely end to the week! It made me appreciate even more what beautiful nature I am surrounded by and gave me a chance to slow down and reflect on what I have accomplished so far.
I actually cannot believe I have been here for 3 weeks already- time has completely flown by as I have immersed myself in everything this programme has to offer. Actually seeing what goes into making one piece of clothing will certainly make me think about who has made my clothes and how I shop in the future.
Please sign in
If you are a registered user on Laidlaw Scholars Network, please sign in
Can I buy that skirt, Madam Designer? 😄 Love how you write, Megan. So happy to see you have this experience.