Dressed To Kill
by Rachelle Stien-Wotten
As he is a Graphic Design major at VIU, the last thing you would expect
Stephen Conway to be working on
is a fashion show. But sure enough,
that’s just what he has been working
on for the past year.
In his final year of the Bachelor of
Arts in Graphic Design, Conway has
put together an exciting, graphicinspired
fashion experience for his
graduate project. Culminating with
a fashion show to be held at the VIU
Theatre on Apr. 12, over the year
his project included taking photo
shoots, designing a book, and filming
and producing short videos.
Wanting to get a taste of as many
aspects of the fashion industry as he
could, Conway also styled and built
outfits from items he found at thrift
shops. He even went so far as to learn
how to sew.
“I had done one apron in grade
eight, but other than that I was
teaching myself how to sew on top
of everything else,” he says. “For the
show, I completed two skirts and
three dresses.”
The show, titled “Graphic Fashion,”
features looks for both men and
women.
For as long as he can remember,
Conway has been passionate about
fashion, so framing his final project
around the industry made sense to
him. He hopes this show will encourage
others to think about what
they wear too.
“I think everyone should care
about fashion and dressing well.”
Conway wants everyone to know
that he doesn’t consider himself the
next John Galliano or Karl Lagerfeld.
“I’m not here to be a designer or
try to set a new trend or create a new
look,” he says. “But I want to tell a
story—a story that just happens to
be about fashion.”
The show, which is free and open
to the public, starts at 4 p.m. Conway
has a facebook page dedicated to his
project, where those interested can
learn more about his work—VIU
Fashion Project.
Exhausted and at times feeling
overwhelmed, Conway is looking
forward to the big night. He doesn’t
regret anything he’s done though.
“It’s been a lot of hard work
and a lot of sleepless nights, but it’s
what I love and what I’m passionate
about.”