Eight eye-catching outfits designed by Kangan Institute fashion student Michaela Eddington are on sale across the world through a special capsule collaboration with fashion e-commerce giant SHEIN.
The SHEIN X Michaela Eddington collection features a range of dresses, blouses, skirts and pants designed with young women in mind.
Mrs Eddington, who regularly shares fashion designs on social media, said she was invited through Instagram to participate in the SHEIN capsule project.
“I was intrigued and thought I'd give it a shot as this would be an amazing opportunity as a soon-to-be fashion designer graduate to get my name and designs out there in the world,” she said.
Created during the COVID-19 pandemic and featuring colourful prints, Mrs Eddington said her designs were inspired by a youthful desire to return to happier and more carefree days.
“The capsule collection was inspired by my love of bright colours and eye-catching prints,” she said.
“I wanted the collection to encapsulate the feeling of being young, fun and care-free especially during the uncertain and bleak times of the pandemic so my prints reflected just that. I used pink because I think it brings joy to a lot of people and gold for a touch of elegance.
“This spring collection can be dressed up or down and can be mixed and matched for any occasion.”
Mrs Eddington said her education at Kangan Institute provided her with more than technical expertise – it helped her gain skills to position her designs for sale.
“Kangan has taught me the steps and processes to creating a fashion collection and through the collaboration I've had to rely and use these skills to communicate my ideas,” she said.
“Through Kangan, I learnt how to create my own prints, technical drawings, and to put together a tech pack to communicate my designs to the manufacturer. I've also learnt to design a collection that not only looks good but that would appeal to SHEIN's clientele and be sellable.
“I could not have done this collaboration effectively if not for the skills learnt at Kangan."
Having recently participated in the Melbourne Fashion Week Student Collections Runway, Mrs Eddington is steadily carving a name for herself as an emerging designer. The 26-year-old’s latest collaboration with SHEIN will enable her to gain valuable experience in the retail aspects of this fast-paced industry.
“I feel very excited about my designs being available for sale on SHEIN. I hope to take this opportunity to see how commercially viable my designs are and to see which garments the SHEIN customers will buy,” she said. “SHEIN also has a review page on each product so I'm looking forward to see how the customers are wearing the garments and what features they liked about them too.”
Kangan Institute chief executive Sally Curtain said the TAFE was proud to have played a part in Mrs Eddington’s success.
“Congratulations to Michaela for successfully launching her designs to the global market through SHEIN. It is a truly incredible achievement for any student designer, particularly within a fast-paced and talent-rich industry like fashion,” said Ms Curtain.
“Michaela’s achievements reflect her creativity, skills and her determination to succeed as a fashion designer.
“Her experience also showcases the value of TAFE and its focus on practical skills for real world application. Kangan Institute is proud to have played a part in helping Michaela gain technical skills in design, as well as equally important skills in pitching her work and seeing it through from design to manufacturing, and then to final sale product.”
