SOPHIE ELENA DUNN
Designing a Career in Fashion
Gill Sherry
Very few young adults know exactly which career path they want to take when leaving school. Indeed, Sophie Elena Dunn, like many of her fellow S5 students at Ayr’s Queen Margaret Academy, was unsure which subjects to choose when selecting courses for her Highers.
“I decided to take Art… then you go down the route of architecture or textile design. No-one in the department had ever gone down the route of doing fashion, but I was interested in mixing fashion with textiles. So I created a few patterns and decided that I actually wanted to sew something.”
In the absence of a sewing machine at school, Sophie Elena bought her own, and after ordering a vintage corset pattern, taught herself how to sew.
“It took a lot of perseverance, but it worked out in the end. I ended up getting an A for the subject.”
She then came across a Glasgow School of Art Portfolio Preparation Course and decided to apply. There, she was surrounded by like-minded people and was inspired by the different creative practices.
With a definite career path in mind, Sophie Elena, now 19, enrolled at London College of Fashion to study Fashion Design and Development, and earlier this year, was lucky enough to be involved with both London Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week.
“I assisted British designer, Sinead Gorey, for London Fashion Week in February. I was a backstage dresser, dressing the models and styling them. It was a really great experience and I actually managed to meet the designer, she was really nice.”
She continues: “I got offered an internship with Giambatistta Valli for Paris Fashion Week in their showroom. It was after the show when the press and the buyers come in to see what they’d like to buy. That was a really cool experience.”
She is now putting together a portfolio to apply to brands for her placement year. Having already done a small photoshoot at university, she decided she’d like to do one closer to home.
“I wanted to do a photoshoot in a location that showcased the dress and my vision. My project was inspired by my Italian heritage, 1950’s ball gowns and eveningwear, so I thought if I could get a shoot in a ballroom, it would be a really good fit.”
Not only was she able to arrange the shoot at Trump Turnberry, she also persuaded former Miss Great Britain, Ava Morgan, to model her gown.
“I asked Ava if she would be up for doing it… and it was lovely that her exact measurements fitted the dress. It was perfect.”
The red gown modelled by Ava was designed and made by Sophie Elena herself. So, does she prefer designing gowns to other pieces?
“I do prefer gowns, but it was a lot of work and the silk and satin were really expensive and quite different to work with. I’m trying something different for my next project. I’ve moved away from gowns to see if there’s something else that I’m interested in.”
For her next project, she’s required to make a piece of outerwear, so she’s decided on a jacket and skirt.
“I’m trying a couple of different things because I’d rather experiment with different things now before going to my final year and producing an actual collection.”
Bearing in mind she must make a line-up of six looks before choosing one to fully design and make (before Christmas!) she’s going to be a very busy young lady. That said, she appears to be taking it all her stride and is now following a very definite career path.
“When I graduate, I would be interested in working with a brand at first. I want to get some really good industry experience so hopefully I can secure a good internship. My long-term goal is definitely one day to have my own brand.”
Sophie Elena. Remember the name.
