Avant Garde dress Top 10 finalist Marquin Sampson, is the only male student out of the 10 finalists. Marquin is our Avant Garde dress CPUT thorn amongst the roses! Let’s talk…
Meet Marquin…
What was your initial reaction to hearing the news that you had made the cut?
I couldn’t believe it, because I was not entirely happy with my boards that I submitted I still felt there was more I could do to it and I also saw some of my classmates’ designs and thought there was no way that I was going to make the cut. When my friend Masego told me I made it, I didn’t believe her until I saw my name as one of the finalists on the Live Eco website.
Tell us a little more about your ‘RESILIENCE’ look. What inspired you?
My resilience look is inspired by the strength of women in our society today and all the challenges she has to face on a daily basis. The concept came to me during the month of August which was women’s month (09 August). I combined my concept with a strong fabric like denim; a fabric that will always stay in fashion, and which can be manipulated in various eco-friendly ways to create different effects and is also very resilient. To communicate my concept I depicted the women in my design as a boxer, not just any boxer, but a boxer with style, confidence that knows what she wants out of life and who’s willing to fight to get it, even if she gets knock down by the challenges she is facing, she continues to fight for what she wants and believes in, yet keeping her femininity.
What challenges have you experienced by adhering to the competition principles of up cycling and only using eco-friendly dyeing techniques?
The only challenges were to find the materials to upcycle and where to apply them on my design.
One thing we should know about you as a designer?
I can’t draw to save my life. It literally takes me hours and hours just to draw a basic figure that I’m happy with. I may be a perfectionist.
What did you want to be growing up?
I always wanted to be a fashion designer or a fashion photographer, but during my final years of high school I began to excel in my business subjects as everyone advised me that business was the way to go. After matric I went to study accounting at Stellenbosch University, but soon after realized it was not what I wanted to do and decided to discontinue my business studies in order to study fashion.
Name one local designer who inspires you? And internationally?
Local: David Tlale. Internationally: It has to be the late Alexander McQueen.
Do you currently make sustainable choices when it comes to fashion?
I always try to go for natural fabrics when I design something for myself and friends, and my fabric manipulation that I have done thus far has is always been eco-friendly.
What, in your view as a consumer, are the challenges to making sustainable fashion choices locally?
I think that most people are not aware of sustainable fashion and in our country most of the population is economically challenged to make sustainable fashion choices.
Why do you think there are so few ethically and eco- minded designers locally?
They are too focused on the money side of the Fashion business, and do not want to spend time on eco-friendly processes for it sometimes requires so much time and effort and in some cases more money.
I can’t start my day without…
COFFEE!
Currently playing on your iPod…
MI CASA- Jika.
My own style is…
Casual: T-shirt, Jeans and All Star Takkies.
Name 5 celebs (dead or alive) you would most like to invite over for a dinner party?
- Azmarie Livingston (Model)
- Oprah Winfrey
- Alexander McQueen
- Anna Wintour
- Lady Gaga
Best advice you’ve ever been given?
Do not depend too much on other people; if you want something done always try to do it yourself.
Current obsession?
So you think you can dance US. Season 10.
Top tip when it comes to upcycling?
Always use quality clothes to upcycle and clothing items that work well together in terms of the fabric and colour choice.
