Free Labour

As part of my module at uni, I have recently finished my intern as a Pattern Cutting Assistant at Jade Kang. He's based near Old Street. Overall I had a good experience but I wouldn't say that I learnt that much in terms of pattern cutting as I was doing things that I already knew how to do and a lot of it was quite repetitive. We worked on his Autumn/Winter 2011 womenswear collection. Jade's style is quite urban, feminine and romantic. He uses soft fabrics such as chiffon, organza and silk, all of which drape comfortably around the body. Here are some drawings from the current collection.

I've realised the sheer amount of time, effort and perfectionism that goes into preparing a collection as highly anticipated as Jade Kang. Given the huge expectation and pressure faced by Jade to put on as inspirational a show as its predecessors, the extreme hours being put in at his studio during the run up to Fashion Week are hardly surprising. In a small fashion label, it is obviously the creative director and carefully selected team of great technical individuals who steer the ship. But what's really struck me over the past few months is that the work of interns, students and other employees is also utterly essential to creating a hit collection. Everyone is putting in long hours of hard graft. But whether it's cutting a pattern, embroidering a jacket or tracking down a specific silk organza, the small contribution that each individual makes plays a part in getting each piece primped and perfect.