Image: Lydia Pearson (right) mentoring young designers at the Queensland University of Technology.
Special announcement !
This episode marks the end of Season 1 of the Fashion Wayfinder podcast… BUT I invite you to join the mailing list …and stay tuned for Season 2 !!!
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EPISODE 10: Bringing knowledge from the international fashion stage to the classroom.
It is my absolute pleasure to share this special episode with great Australian designer, Lydia Pearson.
Lydia has been a fashion designer and entrepreneur from a young age. She speaks about her lifelong passion for clothing and dressing up, and starting her first label with little knowledge of the fashion industry.
In 1989 Lydia Pearson and Pamela Easton began their collaborative fashion brand, Easton Pearson, which has become an important part of Australian fashion culture. Their beautiful fashion collections were inspired by their love of vintage garments, art and craft. Lydia and Pam built strong connections with artisan producers in India and sold their fashion collections around the world.
Fast forward to 2018, Lydia is now a fashion lecturer at the Queensland University of Technology. Her mission is to help nurture and support young local talent. She plans to establish a space and structure to foster artisanal designers and makers, and to help them develop sustainable businesses.
In this episode:
- Lydia’s childhood in Toowoomba and her passion for clothing and textiles.
- Studying law and French at university before following her heart to become a designer.
- Formative creative times in Sydney – Stranded nightclub, and Jenny Kee’s Flamingo Park boutique.
- Establishing her label in Brisbane. Working long hours and growing her brand through creative experimentation and building industry relationships.
- Establishing a partnership with Pamela Easton and bringing together their complimentary skill sets. How working collaboratively “is like a dance”. Lydia’s talks about the pros and cons.
- Easton Pearson collections began with a colour palette and a loose concept. Each collection was an evolution of the previous seasons. The garments were designed to be timeless.
- Easton Pearson archive has been acquired by the Museum of Brisbane. An exhibition is being planned for late 2018.
- Lydia’s work teaching at the Queensland University of Technology and her goal to foster talent and create opportunities for local designers and makers.
- Common mistakes she sees designers & entrepreneurs make.
- Qualities she considers essential to succeed in the fashion industry: a thick skin, a really clear vision, tenacity, passion, flexibility.
- Why Lydia believes individual style is more important than trend driven fashion.
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Image: Easton Pearson presentation in Paris, 2006.