Continuing last month’s feature on sharing approaches to learning and teaching, we hear from Kate Reynolds, Pooja Sharma, and Laura Banfield who teach Fashion Design Compositions and Styling in the Bachelor of Fashion (Design) program. We also applaud the efforts of the student and staff team working to develop prototypes for comfortable facemasks and meet new staff member Carolina Quintero!
_______________________________________________________________________
Bachelor of Fashion (Design)
Fashion Design Compositions and Styling (GRAP2826) is designed to investigate the role of a fashion stylist within contemporary fashion communication and industry and develop a set of styling and fashion composition skills to expand existing design methods. There is “a key focus on styling as a way of ‘reimagining what exists’”, which has been put into practice with the current pandemic restrictions!
The sessional teaching team of Kate Reynolds, Pooja Sharma, and Laura Banfield have responded to the challenges of teaching online, with Kate saying: “We are creating workshops, activities and discussions around the current COVID-19 situation and exploring how the current working from home/isolation period can be explored creatively by the students. We have a weekly display of ‘creatives working in isolation’ to showcase the level of output that can be achieved within a domestic context.”
Kate added: “A few of our class themes have included ‘Hat Party’ and ‘Sizzlin’ Summer’ to create student engagement and to have some fun in our new learning environment!”
“Our industry guests have included Jo Duck (photographer), Blake Barns (fashion designer H.B Peace and Vetements), Abby Bennett (Stylist/Fashion and Content Editor for Doingbird Magazine) and our guest for Week 11 is Antuong Nguyen (director/film maker at Silky Jazz). Our guests have discussed image making, composition and forms of styling, dressing interiors, objects and editing/gathering props with an opportunity for the students to ask questions.”
On the transition to online learning , Pooja Sharma said:
“A lot more work has gone into making sure that the activities are fast paced and stimulating as well as relevant to the assignment at hand – we have some one-on-one time, just like in a real life class setting, however we like to separate the students into smaller breakout groups to discuss their work with each other as well as us. It’s about keeping the students stimulated so they are creating work whilst being at home as well as sharing with each other during our online class time.”
“Our goals are to create a fast paced learning environment to keep the students engaged as well as developing a rapport with students so that we can create a sense of community even though we are all living in our own homes.”
Laura Banfield said: “A limitation of working online is that students and teachers alike can’t just peer over the shoulder of another student and see the fantastic work in their development journal. We have found the sharing of work and ideas to be an invaluable experience, and have been replicating this experience through allowing time for students to discuss their projects during Collaborate Ultra sessions and the use of Discussion Boards on Canvas. This way, we’re all working and thinking together as a group, even though the projects are individual outcomes. The students are across each others’ work and helping each other out!”
_______________________________________________________________________
Prototype Facemasks
A staff and student team from the School of Fashion and Textiles has developed prototype masks as part of a Federal Government initiative to meet potential shortages in safety gear during the pandemic.
Associate Dean (Research and Innovation) Dr Scott Mayson said the mask was designed to be a comfortable, secure one-size fits all product. Working with Scott are Technical Officer George Chan, Associate Lecturer Blake Barnes and Professor Rajiv Padhye, as well as four Honours students.
The design has been through several variations and has now been scaled up for further trials through the Australian Manufacturing Technology Institute Limited (AMTIL). If successful, it could soon be produced by local manufacturers.
Scott said: “It has been developed specifically to fit a broad range of faces with just one strap and a unique under chin profile that maintained a seal. The top panel conforms to the face with minimal pressure around the nose but also allows for expansion when talking or moving the mouth while maintaining the seal.”
“The intention is that it can be worn for long periods of time without becoming uncomfortable as many existing masks do, while still providing high levels of protection.”
The mask is made from several layers of specially developed material supplied by a local manufacturer and two internal sandwiched layers of blended natural material developed by CSIRO for filtering virus-carrying particles.
The team has been cutting and sewing the masks in design studios and production labs at RMIT’s Brunswick campus, while following extra physical distancing procedures. Honours student, Lauren Hart McKinnon said: “It’s been nice to be productive in a situation that can seem so far out of our control, even if it’s only a small contribution.”
“There are healthcare workers out there putting in ridiculous hours to keep people alive through this so putting in a few days’ work to make these masks feels like the least I could do to help.”
For further information, watch the feature on the ABC news or read about the trials on the RMIT staff website.
_______________________________________________________________________
Introducing: Carolina Quintero
In February, Carolina Quintero joined RMIT School of Fashion and Textiles as Associate Lecturer in the Fashion Enterprise program. However, she is not completely new, completing her PhD within the school and working as sessional teacher for the last 3 years. Carolina is originally from Colombia in South America and has worked in the fashion industry in Colombia, Brazil and Australia.
What is your area of interest/ expertise in fashion? My areas of expertise are clothing, materials and the interaction between the garments and the wearer. I like to investigate how the garment and fabric properties can improve the wellbeing of the user related to specific body needs.
I am also very interested in exploring the potential of diverse education and industry collaborations for learning and teaching and research. I really enjoy the interaction between creative industries and the academic environment.
What excites you about working at RMIT? I think RMIT, aside from giving me this amazing opportunity to keep working as a teacher (which I love), is a very exciting place to work because of its focus on innovation, entrepreneurship, international connections and addressing societal challenges. In particular, I love how the school fosters creativity and is supportive of new ideas!! I really love the general feel of the University.
You started work around the same time as the pandemic. How was that transition? I started working on the 13th of February and then the transition to online happened on the 23rd of March. I was very glad that I was relatively familiar with the school and the Enterprise team. I cannot image how someone completely new to RMIT would have done it as the transition was not easy for me. However, I’ve had a lot of support from the different teams I work with. It has been quite challenging as I usually use a lot of physical samples as resources for teaching that I cannot use in the current situation… but nevertheless I am enjoying the super accelerated learning curve of online teaching!
How have you adapted your classes to teaching online? As for everybody, this hasn’t been an easy task… but I think I have found some good ways to engage my students through bringing industry speakers to the sessions, playing online games related to the session content and providing platforms where students can write about their learnings, their doubts and their feelings regarding the classes in an anonymous way.
I hear you’re into… Dancing salsa and merengue… no, they are not food, they are two very popular music styles in South America and one of the things I miss the most from my home country! But still, I can have loud music and a floor space anywhere… so dancing at home with my family is not uncommon! I also love travelling with my family… getting to know places and different cultures is amazing!
Thank you, Carolina! We’re so glad you’ve joined the School of Fashion & Textiles teaching staff.
_______________________________________________________________________
Waa Weelum
It is Waring (Wombat) season, heading into deep winter. The days are cool. Wombats bask in the sun and moths emerge as food for birds and gliders. Fungi appear from the ground.
National Reconciliation Week is from 27 May – 3 June. This year Reconciliation Australia marks twenty years of shaping Australia’s journey towards a more just, equitable and reconciled nation.
Please save the date- invitation to follow shortly…
On Wednesday May 27th 11.45 am to 12,30 pm – our DSC Ngulu & Belonging Committee are very excited to be hosting our first online all staff forum to celebrate National Reconciliation Week.
The forum is premised on the theme of Kerr-boo-on-ool (to join) and is an opportunity for DSC to come together and reflect on our shared journey towards Reconciliation. Through a presentation of stories and practices emerging from across our schools and communities.
For more information on reconciliation at RMIT, see the action plan and Bundyi Girri resources.
And some good news!
RMIT has been ranked number one in the world for its efforts to reduce inequality within and among countries in the Times Higher Education (THE) University Impact Rankings. Now in its second year, the impact rankings were designed to showcase progress against the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by measuring university contributions that social and economic impact.