Our Academy's tutor Patricia Gomes shares her hopes for sustainability in fashion and the joy of watching her student grow.
Fashion is an attitude; it is an artform and it is the ultimate form of self-expression. Fashion Design is the art of generating an aesthetic through the creation and construction of clothing and accessories.Fashion is a fluid and cyclical movement of cultural and trend driven styles. It is everywhere, in everything we wear and everything we choose not to wear.
Fashion design has been a reflection of times gone by and times yet to come and still, with all these descriptions, fashion cannot be defined.
Fascination
When a child is lucky enough to have a role model they can admire and learn from, that person will help the child see their own potential. They will illuminate their path and lead by example.
Patricia Gomes’ guiding light was her grandmother. She was a skilled seamstress and Patricia was fascinated by her work and her world. As her grandmother was perched at her sewing machine, Patricia would play with her fabrics and patterns and devour her fashion magazines. By “observing and disturbing” her grandmother’s work, Patricia learned to first make clothes for her dolls before becoming more deeply enchanted by clothing and design.
Today Patricia has a master’s degree in Design and Marketing of Textile Products and has many years’ experience in the design industry but she says she really “found joy when I started teaching.” The creativity of her students constantly amazes her, and she delights in watching their unique and fresh ideas evolve into the world of professional design.
Style
There is no one specific style that Patricia will limit herself to, instead she is excited by the craftsmanship and artisanal work of fashion design. She loves details and the intricate work that takes days of hand-crafted skill to complete. Her eyes are drawn to colour and prints and how the fabrics have been “manipulated and transformed.”
Although fashion is very much cyclical, there are some periods that many believe should be left alone. Patricia cringes when she sees anything 80’s. Bubble skirts and padded shoulders make her shudder and she simply “can’t understand how people could go back to that.” But that’s fashion design for you! It’s a personal choice.
When asked about her influences and heroes in the industry, Patricia does not hesitate to cite Cristóbal Balenciaga as the designer she most respects. Balenciaga has become a household name, but Cristóbal Balenciaga was the master of haute couture and was admired and respected for his exquisite craftmanship and design innovation. His skills in garment construction fascinate Patricia and if she could go back in time and spend a day watching him work, it would be “a dream come true” for her. Not only was he experimental with shapes and garment construction, but his technical skills were masterful.
Nina de Voe in Balenciaga - Photo: Condé Nast Archive; Cristobal Balenciaga - Photo: Bettman/CORBIS; Bettina - Photo: Condé Nast Archive.
Lessons
When Patricia was starting out, she was mainly working with children. This would turn out to be an experience filled with unexpected lessons. Not only would colour become a friend and ally, but fabrics became something new as she suddenly needed to consider them in terms of comfort and mobility.
The most surprisingly lesson however, was learning how to manage the chaos of backstage at a fashion show. Children do not like to be told what to do or indeed, when to change their clothes, but her time working with them gave her the skills she would later need to manage the bedlam and pace of a grown-up fashion show.
The business of fashion has been a multi-billion-dollar industry for a very long time, but Patricia believes a revival is overdue. Standards and practices must be addressed, and fashion needs more diversity, more inclusivity, better body image and sustainability.
It is in the hands of the fashion industry to change how we perceive the world around us. The removal of prejudice and the protection of our environment are areas that concern Patricia. But she also sees “new mindsets” in her students and with that, there is hope!
Her advice to new designers is to focus on sustainability. Fashion must take responsibility for its impact on the planet and looking at new processes in designs will help make that change. Use sustainable materials and practices in your daily work.
Patricia Gomes holds an MBA in Retail Marketing and a BA in Costume Design and Fashion History. She has been working in the fashion industry for the past 25 years and has been teaching for almost 10 years. Passionate about fashion and tutoring, Patricia is currently doing an MA in Design and Marketing for Fashion Products.
To find out how you can become a fashion designer, visit our courses page.