Education/training
Been there, Dunne thatJenni Dunne has gone from not being able to sew a stitch of clothing to competing in fashion design competitions around the world. TOM BARTSIOKAS |
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 [ 2006-09-06 ] |
Jenni Dunne, a fashion art student who knew nothing about sewing before attending Seneca, now competes in International fashion competitions.
The 2006 Fashion Arts graduate has travelled to Montreal, Paris and most recently Beijing, where she represented Canada in the International Young Fashion Designers Contest, considered to be the most prestigious competition for up-and-coming student designers.
"Being in Beijing, and being among the designers that were invited, was an amazing learning experience," Dunne says.
She was the only student from Canada selected to take part in the week-long event, which attracted more than 1,000 applicants from 20 different countries.
Dunne's travels began last year when she took home one of the top prizes for best fashion accessory at a Montreal-based event.
Her avant-garde head piece, which represented a woman's climb up the corporate ladder, won her the competition and earned her a spot at the Jeunes Createurs fashion contest in Paris, France.
While overseas, Dunne discovered first-hand what it takes to put together a large-scale fashion show, working backstage with the event's co-ordinators, models and other designers.
She says the experience of competing internationally taught her many valuable lessons about her profession -- ones she won't soon forget.
"I learned anything can happen at anytime backstage, so be prepared," she says.
"I also learned to always have some safety pins pinned to my shirt just in case something fell apart at the last minute, which it did."
Three years ago being selected to compete in a fashion show at home or abroad would have been impossible for this 21-year-old, who says she didn't know how to sew before coming to Seneca.
Thanks to her professors and fashion courses such as clothing construction, Dunne has developed all the skills of a starter designer, and more.
"Our students are prepared to basically do whatever they choose to in this business," says Betty Michaud, a professor and program co-ordinator in the Fashion Arts program. "It just takes personal determination and a never-give-up-attitude, and Jenni has those."
Since graduating from the Fashion Arts program last May, Dunne has been working as a freelance designer, concentrating her efforts on designing men's clothing.
But with the experience she has gained from competing internationally and her Seneca training, her long-term goal is to one day open her own clothing store.
"If I open my own store or become the next Gucci of Canada that would be awesome," she says with a laugh. "At the end of the day, I just want to be my own boss, and to be creative."
Seneca's Fashion Arts program offers students career-oriented education in the fashion industry. Graduates are qualified to enter careers in design, production management, quality control, product development and pattern-making in both men's and women's wear.
For more information, visit: www.senecac.on.ca/fulltime/FAA.html.
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