If you happen to catch Blair MacDonald busily scribbling away in a notebook, she isn't just doodling, she's probably drafting a new design that might possibly be translated into a gorgeous fashion piece.
The Grade 12 Estevan Comprehensive School student from North Portal has turned her designing "doodles" into a $3,000 entrance scholarship to the Art Institute of Vancouver, an offer that she intends to accept.
"It seems like a pretty interesting school," said Blair, who said she got an inkling of what the Vancouver school was about when a representative of the institute paid a visit to ECS last year to outline some of the subjects that were taught and what certifications and degrees could be earned from that facility.
Following Blair's first expressions of interest, the art institute e-mailed her information regarding a school sponsored contest that focused on fashion design and merchandising.
"I've always been drawing and sketching designs, but I've never really made one before," said Blair.
But with the welcomed assistance of ECS educator Laurel Reimche, the school's resource room/librarian who is also an accomplished seamstress, Blair took the plunge into a full blown gown creation that would be worthy of entering the contest. She was hoping to grab their interest in her designing skills.
"I do sew a little, but very little. That's where Ms. Reimche came into the picture. She is a seamstress, I'm not," she said with a laugh.
But she did put together those 13 roses that bedeck the gown and the design is all hers. The gown, which would bedazzle any ballroom crowd, is crafted from velvet and chiffon, two very contrasting materials that the two women made work.
Students from all the art institutes were invited into the contest and Blair heard just recently that hers was one design that captured the attention of the judges in the preliminary or "local" competition. It is now entered into the national awards competition.
Just by capturing a top spot in the local end of the contest, Blair earned herself the entrance scholarship offer from the Art Institute of Vancouver and if the gown passes national scrutiny, it could mean a full scholarship to the school plus a trip to New York for their famous Fashion Week, plus $500 and a guaranteed invitation to meet fashion representatives from Seventeen magazine and a blog on that magazine's website.
Blair said she is an avid fine arts participant at ECS, enjoying all the drama and visual arts classes that are offered. In fact she intends to join the school's choral group next semester although she's not a musician and not a member of the ECS band.
As for those sewing skills, she said that is one aspect of the design work that she'll be focusing on as she progresses.
"I've done some sewing from patterns, but this time it was a design of its own, no set up pattern."
That's where Reimche's talents came into play.
"Those 13 handmade roses were brutal, tough to make. It took about two weeks and many long hours to bring it all together," she said.
The actual design concept, "just came out of nowhere," she said. That's something that is often heard from pure artists.
"I want to be a fashion designer, but sewing will be my weakness, at least until I get a whole lot better at it. I'll have to if I expect to put dreams into reality," she added.
Blair's marks in her academic subjects are strong, so there should be no difficulty in transitioning to the Art Institute of Vancouver either this summer or next fall, when she feels she's ready.
She's still a little confounded by the fact that this gown, and her application was the first one she'd ever made and it turned out so positive.
Asked why she chose roses for the gown, Blair said, "Roses are my signature. I incorporate them in every one of my designs. I hand make them, so it's horrible, but too late to change the signature now."
She added that she would be using Blair Hasell as her design mark
"Luxury fabric I love it," she said, commenting on her first experience at the real world of fashion designing.
There are worse things than being addicted to chiffon, we expect.
