Lang Leav's Ambition is Sewn Up
by Cindy Tran
Since graduating in 1998 from Cabramatta High School, Fashion designer, Lang Leav has achieved her dream.
Leav, who is 28, always dreamt of becoming a fashion designer. "There isn't an exact moment I can pinpoint when I realised I wanted to be a fashion designer, but I always knew I wanted to have a career in the creative industry. Art was always my favourite subject in school so I knew I wanted to do an Arts Degree at Uni."
Leav began to achieve her goals in 2005, when she won the Qantas Spirit of Youth Awards (SOYA), competing against 10, 000 other hopefuls. "Winning SOYA gave me instant credibility in the industry. it really opened up a lot of doors for me and I was able to take advantage of the opportunities that have come my way."
Leav is working with this country's finest designers. She landed herself a lifetime mentorship with fashion icon Peter Morrisey. "Peter Morrisey has been an amazing mentor. He's been very generous with his time and contacts. He is the first person I call when I have really good news!"
She has an impressive list of achievements since winning the award. She has staged a few solo exhibitions and has been astonishing the right people ever since. "I'm very excited about the things I have achieved so early in my career. I have learnt so much about the fashion industry as well as the underground art industry and running a viable business. I didn't set out to start a business, I sort of just found myself in one. I am still trying to get the hang of it," she said.
"Akina (the name of my label) is described as Hello Kitty but with an evil twist. It's a little gothic and dark but really cute at the same time," she said. The clothing is based on a girl named Akina. She has a fetish for stealing buttons so she attacks innocent teddy bears to steal their button eyes.
After graduating from University, Leav worked in several areas of design, including graphic design, illustration, packaging, web design, photography and digital imaging, before entering the fashion industry.
"Fashion design was just another area of design I wanted to try out. I just really loved it and have decided to stick to it ever since. All the other skills I picked up along the way were really valuable because it meant I could design my own swing tags, websites, brochures and photo shoots," Leav said.
A documentary on Akina was made and has aired twice on ABC TV in 2005, it was also aired internationally and Leav has received a fantastic response.
The financial crisis in the economy has affected many businesses in the fashion industry. "Because I run such a niche label, I haven't felt its affects. I sell my things in small quantities. However, in preparation, I will be developing products that are more affordable."
Her label has been a huge success in Australia and she has recently begun exporting her line to Japan and New Zealand.
Becoming a fashion designer isn't just about being glamorous in the fashion industry. "There is a lot of hard work involved. It's a very competitive industry so you have to keep finding new ways to stand out from the crowd. I'd say it's about 90% hard work and 10% fun stuff. You have to give it everything you've got, especially when you're working for yourself at home. It's tempting to stay in bed until 11am every morning but you need to be strict and disciplined with yourself or you'll never get anything done!" Leav said.
Leav is currently working with Cyrus Meurant, who is a young Australian composer of classical music. "We are putting together a concert/exhibition event late this year. I am very excited about it! I was invited to participate in fashion week this year but had to turn it down because of the time factor. I'm really excited about participating next year!"
To find out more on Akina and Lang Leav, visit Akina
Cindy Tran ©
Comments