so handy so dandy: December 2009

Eva q Huynh is a fashion designer with a ‘fresh’ feminine style. Her label Eva Q has been snapped in beautiful photo-shoots and acknowledged by Australia’s top fashion designers. A recent graduate from textile design, her range celebrates traditional skills with a strong delicate style to create garments that are both floaty and ornate.

So much has been happening for this hard working talent that I had to find out all the exciting details and see just how all these individual garments have been made from just, one young lady.

You’re a graduate of Textile design, what made you choose the direction of fashion design? I have always wanted to be a fashion designer. I’ve known since I was about 12 or 13, my mum made me sew pillow cases! Studying Textile Design has given my work a point of difference from the other labels out there.

Winning the Student designer of the year award at the 2009 NRA (The Australian Fashion Design Awards) for your graduate collection was just the beginning of your collection of awards. Tell me about this first range and your idea to create your own label. Ahh… the NRA Fashion Awards. It was a project for Uni and I only made one dress. I did a lot of research and sampling for the project and there was so much potential in it, so I decided to take it a step further and create a small collection. I never expected to win. I was googling fashion competitions and I came across the NRA Australian Fashion Awards, the timing was perfect. Just graduated from Uni and instead of relaxing and going out with friends, I wanted to do more designing and sewing. Crazy I know..I met Daniel Alexander at the Fashion Awards and I had my dress catalog in my handbag, so I whipped it out and he was very interested in work and told me to email him. Next thing I know started my own label in May and things have just been crazy after that.

Your award won you great expose and a scholarship to Paris. What did you get up to there? Tell us every detail! Paris, Paris, Paris… The best month of my life! I did the ‘very intensive’ summer fashion workshop at the Paris American Academy. A very good course to do if you want to work in fashion, I highly recommend it.

The course includes: Backstage access to some Haute Couture fashion shows. Including Elie Saab, nicest man in the world! I was one of the few who got to dress the models at that show and let me tell you, that man is very talented. Couture workshops with very strict couturiers, these women use to work for Madame Gres and Nina Ricci. If something was stitch slightly wrong we would have to go back and unpick it. Everything has to be PERFECT. Hat making workshops with Jean Pierre Trizt who is a hat maker for Jean Paul Gaultier and made the hats for Madonna’s ‘Confessions on the Dance floor’ tour. My business and marketing teacher use to work for Dior and YSL. Trend lectures and classes from Mr. Philip Fimmano who manages Studio Edelkoort, one of the largest trend forecasting company’s in the world.

That’s about all I did in Paris. Working and sewing almost everyday, I didn’t have time to be a tourist; we had to go to school on weekends! But it was a good time, got to live life as a true Parisian, eating bread and drinking wine in front of the Eiffel Tower.

Sneak peak of Eva's pics from Paris Haute couture fashion shows.

Eva Q, has caught the eye of many designers, how would you describe your style? My style is very feminine. Elegant and classic lines paired with intricate details. There is also a strong focus on textures and embellishments (This is where the couture training kicks in).

Who creates your pieces? Me, myself and I. I’m such a control freak, I won’t even let my mum help me with embellishments!

Your photo-shoots are beautiful was this a large project to create? I worked with a great team of people on my Parisian Love Affair shoot. Elvina the photographer is such a great talent and so professional. Desiree McPhee runs Style aid Melbourne and she did the styling for my shoot. Hair and make up were wonderful! Models were gorgeous! It was the perfect shoot and I will be working with some of these talented people again for my Black dress collection. So stay tuned!

Do you have a goal when designing? Who and what inspires you? I try to create timeless investment pieces. Women should spend more money on something special that they will love and look after instead of spending money here and there for pieces they will only wear for one season. I have always been inspired by Haute Couture fashion, the attention to detail and weird wonderful ideas. My dream job is to be an avant garde fashion designer/artist, like Sandra Backlund. Who inspires me? Strong, focused, independent women, like Mademoiselle Chanel. But my favorite designers are Elie Saab, Galliano, Lacroix and Melbourne designer and RMIT graduate Maticevski.

Do you have a favourite material to work with? It’s so great to see your environmental awareness within the garments, is this hard task to manage and discover new pieces? Silks are a must! I use a lot of chiffon, georgette, tulle and a hint of satin for shine. But I also like using jersey fabrics; it provides a lot of comfort and stretch to suit the body shape of the wearer. It’s quite hard to be 100% eco friendly, but I am trying my best. My wholesaler is local and all there fabrics are Australian made, I also source a lot of trims and embellishments at local markets. Another way of being eco friendly is by using your off cuts. After I have cut the body out I reuse the remnant fabric to create flowers or add texture to a garment, so I use roughly 90% of a piece of fabric. And of course all the garments are made in my studio by me, every single cut, stitch and flower.

What’s next for Eva q, what are you looking forward to? Hopefully stocking in more boutiques around the country, I have my eye on Sydney. I really need my own studio and possibly a clone, or maybe an assistant. Anyone interested? L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival is slowly creeping in and I have big plans for that collection, but it’s a secret.

I give you an a3 piece of fabric what would you do with it! Quick! Cut it, gather it, burn it. Then I’d probably add some flowers to it! Haha

Do you have any other creative outlets? Hobbies? Obsessions? I have plenty of obsessions; I love flea markets, food, travel and Britney Spears. Books play a big part of my life. I don’t have time to read novels but I like reading about craft, fashion, culture and nature/ environment.