Mission’s Samantha Stroman has garnered national interest in her unique – and by her own admission, a little “alien” – fashion design.
The Vancouver Community College student is one of 25 finalists in Canada’s Breakthrough Designers competition run by textile distribution company Télio. Aspiring fashion designers from 23 Canadian schools compete for five scholarships valued between $2,000 and $5,000.
Under this year’s theme of textures, Stroman sketched a dress and cloak from the selection of black, white, and grey fabrics. Fiercely structured, the pieces have a gothic style.
“I was inspired by the black and white films of the Weimar cinema, the film era between the wars in Germany, specifically Nosferatu and Metropolis,” said Stroman. “With that, I designed a short little A-line dress, sleeveless, and a big cape that has really high peaked shoulders and a really high collar.”
Stroman comes from a film background, with her dad in the industry and herself previously working in a locations department.
Not yet graduated from VCC, Stroman already manages her own business, called Eternally Waisted, creating custom corsetry.
Stroman has two months to make the final garment for Canada’s Breakthrough Designers from Télio-supplied fabrics.
Her final pieces will drape models at the runway during Montreal Fashion Week in February 2014.
