Before I entered the Fashion Design program at Blanche, I didn’t have a lot of experience in the design industry and I was looking for an all-inclusive program that combined all the areas of fashion; history, pattern drafting, sewing, illustration, creating fashion garments, etc, and ultimately being able to create my own collection.
Shauna modelling for LUKASHYK at Vancouver Fashion Week, Fall/ Winter ‘23.
Left: Shauna creating for her personal line SG FASHION HOUSE from her new collection “Summer Fling”.
Right: Sketches for Resort 20/21: “An aged, yet modernized urban cowboy that exposes feminine & vintage silhouettes while highlighting elements of country western, floral & vintage clothing.”
I take pride in constructing a garment from start to finish as it is truly something that I have made with my own hands.
Although, I thoroughly enjoyed all of the fashion designing courses, one of my favourites was illustration; I have always loved to draw and create ideas on paper and this course in particular taught me, extensively, how to correctly illustrate silhouettes on a croqui figure with different poses, create different textures using various options of colour rendering and above all, dive deeper into making any idea come to life and jump off the page in a professional presentation.
Another of one of my favourites and the course that I, personally, found most useful was pattern drafting. I take pride in constructing a garment from start to finish as it is truly something that I have made with my own hands. When I started sewing, I used to alter clothing but quickly realized that I wanted to be able to make anything that I wanted instead of changing the look of someone else’s design. As a designer, it is important to know all the fundamentals of the design process and it is truly rewarding when you can build something from an idea and in order to do that, you need to be able to draft your own patterns!
My time at Blanche will always be one of my favourite times in my life as it was where I learned the importance of patience, persistence and perfection. It was an environment that made me want to learn more than I did the day before and it was a space where you could create competitively while pursuing what you love.
Since graduating, I have shown various collections (‘Resort Couture’, ‘RollerGxrl’, ‘Pastel Dreams’, ‘Somber September’, and ‘Summer Fling’) in multiple local fashion shows including VIFF & Vancouver Fashion Week and upon successful completion, my work has been shown in TopPosters, Flannel and Vogue Mexico magazines.
I was looking for an all-inclusive program that combined all of the areas of fashion; History, Pattern Drafting, Sewing, Illustration, etc.—ultimately being able to create my own collection.
Furthermore, I have started my own business; SG Fashion House, offering a number of services including custom fashion garments, personal styling; including film and commercial styling as well as runway/ pageant and model coaching. My brand focuses on high fashion garments with an emphasis on colour, florals, print and a unique combination of both vintage and modern silhouettes.
Lastly, I have recently been given an opportunity to display and sell my pieces at a local consignment store in downtown Vancouver; ‘Sheerroom’ and someday wish to have my own brick-and-mortar store being able to offer all of my services in my own Fashion House.
