Two Flat Whites recently had the pleasure in interviewing fashion identity Cathryn Wills who is the Creative Director at Mimco . Cathryn started her fashion career at Benetton working the retail floor, then moved to JAG Australia, before heading back to school, to study fashion design at RMIT. Upon graduating, Cathryn was employed by Country Road in the knitwear team, eventually becoming Design Manager for the category. She then worked as a freelance designer for several businesses.

It was at Mimco where Cathryn Wills found her niche, starting her career with the brand as a freelance knitwear designer in 2004, and working with the founder and former owner, Amanda Briskin. After nearly 5 years with the business, Cathryn is now the Creative Director, overseeing design, visual merchandising and marketing directives. With a love for the world of creativity in all its forms, Cathryn believes that the approach to design should be innovative and spirited – always with the aim to surprise and inspire.

Where did you grow up & where do you hang your hat?

Adelaide, Canberra, Melbourne, upstate New York, back to Melbourne…..now in the Docklands.

In your own words, what do you do?

Have ideas, write stories, draw pictures, manage a team, critique & refine designs with the team, work on all creative aspects of what the Mimco brand says to the general population from store design through to product.

Where did you learn your craft?

On the job, over the years from a multitude of people, and formally at RMIT doing a 3 year degree in fashion design.

Whose work do you relate to most? Who inspires you?

Art, fashion styling & writing speak louder to me than fashion design on its own.  Del Kathryn Barton, Samantha Everton, Carrie Chau….   The editorial genius & styling of Numero, Another Magazine & Purple Magazine.  People on streets everywhere, with special mention going to downtown Shibuya.

What inspires you to create?

The pleasure of having ideas, collaborating with creative minds in the team & seeing all of these concepts manifest in a tangible ‘thing’ is very rewarding – and each time, making it better.

Tell us about your speaking opportunity this May with Fashion Palette?

Fashion Palette approached me to speak about Mimco & my experiences that bought me to this point.  The premise of speaking to an audience of students & burgeoning designers was appealing to me, as it’s a forum that supports new, young talent.  I think it’s important we nurture ideas & creativity – there’s too much homogenization out there!

What can we expect in fashion this winter?

We’re all about the mix of an Uptown Viking & a Shambolic Princess this season at Mimco.  Tribal references of fringing, studding, scarification inspired laser cutting, water creature shapes such as swans & mermaids – clash with an old manner house, eccentric mood of crystals, pearls, tweed, patent & glazed leathers.

What advice can you give to an aspiring young fashion designer?

Be proactive about your path – decide where you want to be & work towards that goal.  Work hard, listen, watch, and learn.  Go above & beyond the call of duty.  And learn to type & draw, best two things I did for my career!

Childhood Memories:

TV Show – Countdown

Hobby – drawing & roller-skating

Food – Carvel Ice cream cakes for birthdays

Fear –   The Dark….still not my favourite thing

People – Mum, Dad & my 3 sisters

Defining moment – Moving to New York, being forced to come out of my shell…there is no escape in American schools!?

Where is the most beautiful place in Australia you have visited?

Byron Bay

From the hours of 9am to 5pm, what do you get up too?

A multitude of things, all of which occur in the Mimco office…meetings, range presentations, more meetings, store visits, research, thinking, running, ranting, raving.

For love or money?

Love….but money always helps with the shoe collection.

What future endeavors are in the pipeline?

Lots of creative projects at Mimco….and if I can get some balance into my life, then a warm blooded pet, as fish are not doing it for me any more.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Poolside, doing my business remotely.

If you could invite 3 people to chat over coffee, who would they be & why?

Plato, my dad Stafford Wills, Picasso..…all no longer in the land of the living, we’d talk mathematics, philosophy & art and how they’re all connected.  Well, they’d talk, I’d listen.

Coffee or Tea?

Coffee with rice milk.

As the last of fashion week models stomp down the runway on 1st May 2009, the inaugural Fashion Palette Event will open its doors to the public at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, running from the 1st to 2nd May 2009. Cathryn Wills will be one of the guest speakers, don’t miss this great event, buy your tickets right here .

The Fashion Palette Excellence Awards 2009 have been designed to reward emerging Australian fashion designers, nominated for outstanding vision and achievement within each category.

Fashion Palette is designed to bring together all facets of the fashion industry and to provide recognition to the best emerging Australian fashion designers. Fashion Palette is committed to nurturing the development of the Australian fashion industry’s future designers. The awards are celebrations of the sheer talent emerging Australian designers have to offer.

Shortlisted entries will be announced and published on 23rd March 2009 on the Fashion Palette website, with the 3 finalists from each category being named at the Fashion Palette event on the 2nd May 2009 in Sydney, where the winner will also be announced.

You’ve got to be in it to win it. Be quick, applications close on the 20th March 2009 .

www.fashionpalette.com.au

From the outside, the world of fashion can appear glamorous, mysterious and impossible to break into. Watching leading Australian designers show their collections at fashion week can be an inspiring and exhilarating experience for the few lucky enough to get their hands on a ticket.  Now the Australian fashion community will have the chance to soak up the skills and knowledge of some of the worlds most prominent fashion figures at this new and exciting event.

In addition to the two-days of presentations from leading fashion figures, Fashion Palette will host a design competition, catwalk show and after party, all designed to offer networking opportunities and to celebrate newly discovered talent.

Fashion Palette will take place on the 1st to 2nd May 2009 at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Sydney. You can purchase your tickets here .

“In May 2009, the Australian fashion community will be the first to experience a new interactive fashion event, Fashion Palette . Twelve leading fashion designers will each share their personal career journeys and offer support and advice to the next generation. Fashion Palette will take place on 1st and 2nd May 2009 at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Sydney.”

Two Flat Whites also recently interviewed the mastermind behind Fashion Palette. Check out the interview with Sonya Mefaddi right here .

Designer Sonya Mefaddi is well known in the Sydney art scene. Sonya is an Art Director for a hip marketing company & has tackled many projects under the alias of Topaz Design . She is confident, ambitious & talented. Two Flat Whites had the pleasure in recently asking Sonya a few questions to find out her passions & goals.

If you sign an autograph what do you write? And where do you call home?

I am yet to sign an autograph… I live in Sydney and love it. I was born in Jordan, but consider Australia to be home. I just spent 2 months in Jordan. Whilst it was an awesome experience it felt so good to fly back into Sydney. Nothing beats the feeling of being home.

In your own words, what do you do?

I am a graphic designer. I work with a range of mediums to visually convey a message to an audience. The computer is a great tool for graphic designers, however I enjoy creating art that has been composed by traditional methods, in particular collages.

Cutting and pasting random elements on the page, painting and drawing to create harmonistic images. I buy random books and magazines from op shops as a resource library for my collages.

I feel that the computer only limits my creativity. I use my scanner a hell of a lot. As for trial and error; well sometimes it could take me two or three attempts before achieving what I want… it’s unlike the computer. I can’t delete a layer or erase elements off the page. It is such a lo-fi technique but that is why I love it.

Childhood memories:

TV Shows : Before school I used to watch Agro’s cartoon connection. I would be glued to the TV whilst my mother dressed. I used to watch a lot of TV as a kid, my fav’s besides Agro, were Art Attack, Captain Planet, Madeline, Degrassi Junior High, The Ferals, The Smurfs, and T bag and the Pearls of Wisdom.

Hobby : On rainy days I would spend my time colouring in colouring books. I also loved roller-skating, climbing trees, catching lizards and grasshoppers.

Food : I loved fruit roll-ups and tubes chips. So glad they are back!

Fear : As a kid I was frightened of animals, in particular of dogs.

People: I have vivid memories of my primary school teachers.

Defining moment: I guess it was topping the grade in year 7 for visual arts.

Schooling memories, chore or cherished?

Cherished. I love challenges and always looked forward to my exams. I come from a strict background, and although I was expected to study a lot, I did enjoy it.

From the hours of 9am to 5pm, what do you get up too?

I work for a marketing company in Sydney as an Art Director/studio manager.

Where can people see your work?

www.myspace.com/sonyamefaddi (personal myspace – with samples of my art)
www.myspace.com/sonyamefaddiart (purely a space where I upload my art)

My book – Unable to Sign – Please email me on myspace for a PDF.

For love or money?

For the L O V E!! When something is effortless to you, you know that it is what you are meant to be doing. It is a job, but it is a hobby and it is what keeps me happy.

What future endeavors are in the pipeline?

I am currently working with the Design is kinky team on a very exciting project. Which we hope to launch towards the end of next year. I am also working with Kyle Pound (A young creative – with loads of talent) on a new fashion magazine.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Working out of my own studio, with a highly creative team on my fashion magazine. Doing the things I love, with lots of great success.

If you could invite 3 people to chat over coffee, who would they be and why?

Eduardo Recife – I adore his art and love his techniques.

Shinro Ohtake – Another of my favorite artist. Would love to flick through his entire scrapbook collection.

Wentworth Miller- Because he is just so divine!

Coffee or Tea?

Tea. I love my tea black, with fresh mint leaves from my garden. Yummo.