21 August 2018
LASALLE BA(Hons) Fashion Design and Textiles graduand Michelle Sutanto’s outstanding showing at the Graduate Fashion Show 2018 earned her a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Wattens, Austria, home of the world-renowned crystal company Swarovski. Michelle’s graduate collection Obliterate caught the eye of Swarovski’s judges, and she was one of only eleven students worldwide invited to the Swarovski Visit Programme, placing her in the company of designers from prestigious institutes such as Conde Nast China, Royal College of Art (UK), London College of Fashion, and Central St Martin’s.
Organised by Swarovski with a view to bring together top design students from all over the world, the Swarovski Visit Programme gave students the opportunity to not only tour the Swarovski headquarters and archives, but also show their works to industry professionals. The opportunity arose for Michelle after Swarovski partnered LASALLE on the Graduate Fashion Show 2018 with a generous sponsorship of crystals, which students incorporated into their designs.
“I was surprised, but at the same time, I felt very happy that Swarovski thought highly of my collection. This is definitely one of my proudest achievements. Swarovski is really supporting new and young designers to move forward,” said Michelle. She recalls the best part of the experience as the chance to present two of her looks in front of Swarovski experts as part of a mini exhibition by the students, as well as the opportunity to participate in a designer talk together with 60 Swarovski employees and fellow programme participants.
Obliterate is a collection strongly influenced by contemporary environmental issues caused by modern mass consumption, in this case the specific custom of whale-hunting, which originates from the Faroe Islands. Michelle chose an unexpectedly refined aesthetic that featured strong colours and textural contrasts, achieved through hand-felted textiles embellished with hand-cut rubber and vibrant Swarovski pendants and crystals, which were sponsored. The collection embodies Michelle’s approach of communicating the unpleasant truths of cultural and societal issues through design, which received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the Swarovski designers.
LASALLE has a very disciplined work ethic, demanding that the materials used are of international standard with extremely strict deadlines. With five years of experience at LASALLE, I was able to share how I manage projects to constantly stay on target with the highest possible work quality.
Programme participants were welcomed by Sandra O’Connor, Swarovski’s Head of Design Talent Network & Visitor Center. Highlights included a guided tour of Swarovski’s Corporate Archives led by Director Stephanie Bonsack, showcasing Swarovski’s 122-year brand heritage and history, a hands-on application workshop with Swarovski’s Technical Customer Team, and a visit to Manufaktur, Swarovski’s collaboration and co-creation centre.
While meeting peers from different countries and schools opened Michelle’s eyes to more fashion designs and concepts, she was also proud to share what she learned at LASALLE over her five years, first as a Diploma in Fashion student before continuing with the BA(Hons) programme. “LASALLE has a very disciplined work ethic, demanding that the materials used are of international standard with extremely strict deadlines. With five years of experience at LASALLE, I was able to share how I manage projects to constantly stay on target with the highest possible work quality.”
With such a promising headstart, Michelle’s dream of starting her own fashion label is well within reach. For now, she intends to continue building her experience and portfolio working in the industry, but look out for her name headlining a catwalk in the future!
Cover image: Michelle presenting her work at the Swarovski designer talk
Photos: Klaus Maislinger
