Vancouver Fashion eZine - Online Magazine | Art Institute Fashion Student

How does a punk/goth/alternative rocker from a small town in Alberta, with a band called "nameless", an 8-year job as the Swirl's Ice Cream Girl, and no sewing or drawing skills end up 2 years later in the upper echelon of the Art Institute's distinguished graduating class and the only Canadian in an international design competition? You only have to ask Taron Layne. Her focus, drive and determination have paid off and she is well on her way to greater things.

Medicine Hat was not the most nurturing environment for this left-of-center designer. Spontaneous by nature, she decided 2 years ago to change direction and pursue fashion design. The Art Institute had one of the few programs that would take her with no sewing or drawing experience, so she moved away from family and friends and located in a small apartment near the school where she immersed herself in her studies. Pouring through fashion magazines and pulling many all-nighters she worked hard to acquire the basic skills such as "What is a dart?". At times the stress was overwhelming. Most challenging, and most rewarding in the long run, was learning to sew. Turning ideas into reality was more challenging than anticipated, but she enjoyed the "collage" of assembling the diverse pieces into one unified concept. Anne Morris, her first sewing teacher and current Academic Director, took Layne under her wing and continues to be her mentor to this day.

Much of her inspiration in fashion comes from her rock background including alternative designers such as Vivienne Westwood. "Fashion is my vessel in an ocean of possibility…Designing is my own way of living larger than life…what I create reflects the subtle beauty of despair...I hold an affinity for glitz, glamour, and excessive makeup. Aggressive women who are able to maintain their sense of femininity are truly virtuous". Originally the intention was to incorporate more traditional spring colors, but she ended up returning to the ones that inspired her labeling them with edgy names - Dead Heat (black), Seeing Pavement (charcoal) and Hemoglobin (red). Fabrics include cotton canvas, cotton shirting, denim, cotton knit, polyester/rayon, and lycra. The collection, called "Ms. Fit" contains a shirtdress with a wide belt, an assortment of pants, skirts and tops, and an asymmetrical jacket along with unusual items such as arm warmers, lycra stockings and bodice straps. Metal buckles, eyelets and zippers add to the collection's street style. I particularly like the high-waisted skirt with detachable standing collar paired with a red top and white/black funky print lycra leggings. The style is punk-influenced with classical lines and an edgy femininity. "It's a reflection of me personally, what I would want to wear."

Where does Taron Layne go from here? October will see her off to the Jiahai Cup in Wuhan, China. She is one of 33 designers world wide, and the only one from Canada, to be invited. After that she would like to travel, apprentice, and hopefully take more schooling. For information on the Art Institute, please visit their website at www.artinstitutes.edu or call 604-683-9200.