Jaiden Shoushounova – LaSalle College Vancouver
I got the opportunity to interview an incredible alumni here at LaSalle College Vancouver. You might recognize his designs from the Vancouver Fashion Week SS20 runway show or the ads by Vancouver sky trains promoting the fashion design program here at LaSalle College Vancouver. We will be talking to Eduardo Lozano-Ramos and learning about his experience at LaSalle College Vancouver, what it was like to show in Vancouver Fashion Week and even get some advice from him; keep reading.
“My name is Eduardo. I’m from Mexico, and I came to Vancouver in October 2014; after all the procedures and processes to getting my pr, I decided to finally pursue my passion, which was fashion. I remember this one time LaSalle was really great, and they invited me to Vancouver fashion week, and I was just attending. So when I went to the event, it was really cool. I loved the environment, people and runway and decided I would present my collection with LaSalle.”
What got you interested in fashion?
Being from Mexico, I was always drawn to being stylish. I never really went fully into fashion because in Mexico, sometimes you don’t see fashion as such a big thing, and I was looking at other majors such as business for my future career. Still, I was always interested in garments, clothing, jewelry and looking good and dressing nice for my body. The passion for fashion has always been there, but I never actually pursued it.
Why did you choose LaSalle College Vancouver in particular?
Getting into fashion, a lot of people second guess and doubt it, just like me in that position. The first thing I did was look at many schools lots of names came by. Still, when I went to LaSalle College and visited the campus, all the resources were great, the sewing machines, books, teachers. I loved how it was 24/7; it was something I really considered, and the connection to fashion week made me join as it was my goal at the end of the day, and it just happened, to be honest, they invited me, and I fell in love with the runway show, so I decided to join them.
I feel so blessed for having my studio at home and investing in machines and mannequins its been a process. Still, if you don’t have the space or time or the opportunity to invest In these pieces having the school open is excellent, and you even get to bounce the ball with peers and teachers; it’s a great environment to stay motivated.
Did you have any favourite classes?
I have always been a good learner all my life. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy many schools because they would stop me and make me wait for the class or everyone else to reach that point. I sound bias, but I really love Nargas’s classes; they’re my favourite because I’m the type of guy who is a nightmare student. I will push and always ask why to do it like this and not like that, so I love that Nargas always gave me more; she kept me interested and invested, always making things perfect, most students would do one sample, I would make five. I love that she would push and boost me to reaching that perfection; I love construction and pattern drafting I still do it to this day. It helps with basics and even complicated stuff and after those classes I would say draping because when I did my collection, there were so many crazy features, and draping helped a lot, so it’s a combination between those two.
“Julia mentioned how a dress in your final collection was inspired by alexander McQueen. I was curious to know if you did both draping and pattern drafting on that piece?“
Yeah, I’m quite obsessed with Alexander McQueen, to be honest; he’s the greatest fashion designer ever in my eyes; he just is. Lots of people innovate fashion like Christine Dior with the new look and Chanel with her dress silhouettes. Still, it was all a long time ago, and when McQueen came around, it felt like we had seen everything, but he just implemented tailoring into a dress. It was crazy to me when I first saw his collection. I wasn’t even studying fashion, and when I saw this dress, I was like, “Woah, this is crazy,” his 2010 collection, there was a dress, not even the final piece. Still, it was a draped piece that goes around with a huge collar, and I saw it and wanted to pay homage to him because he was one of the reasons I got into fashion. I did a basic block and trimmings, and it was very fitted too, and I had to do a lot of samples. I did pattern drafting to make the bodice. I made the bubble skirt by draping as well as the neckpiece, but I started making it with paper because it’s cheap and you won’t waste money, I used different densities of paper and tried to copy it into a fabric that is stiffer and layered up to make it structured, so I used a combination of those two elements.
“Here’s a little secret, my dress ripped on the runway.”
How was the fashion week experience?
I’m the type of person who says they’ll do something, and I get very obsessed; it takes a lot of dedication, so keep in mind before LaSalle, I never had experience with a sewing machine I knew nothing all I feel like I was limited. I took my limits out of the way, and I sewed so much and learned how to felt, knit, weave, hand sew, and my fashion week experience was great; I remember that Nargas asked if my collection was ready for tomorrow, and I had nothing it was like 2 pm. She said to go to the library and get motivation, then come back and design, and that was tough, so I was like, I’m going to go for it.
No one knows this because it’s crazy, but this is my process of fashion. I remember entering the library. I looked at the computer, and a screensaver turns on of a fish tank, and I thought water, life and my mind just went like water, life, organic fibres, harming the world, animals are beautiful, etc. I always feel drawn to marine life and colour, and then my brain was filled with crazy ideas. I grabbed my iPad and started sketching. I finished all my sketches in four hours and did that collection, and showed Nargas, and she said its perfect. Sometimes feel like these moments are meant to be, and you just enter a zone where your mind just goes, you don’t know what’s happening, but you do. Long story short, I had to get fabric samples, which I didn’t have because I just designed the thing that day; I ran like crazy to Dress Sew, did everything, and I was the last person to turn everything in, and everyone else was so organized. But I knew this was it, and it was my vision I wanted to present.
The next day in Julia’s class, they told me I was in, and I was so over the moon, it took a day, maybe not even, and already I had the mood board of designs, and LaSalle was great in letting us decorate a room for our designs for fashion week it was great. Everyone had different concept ideas and mood boards, so many designs. It was amazing we were all up so early and went to bed and woke up at crazy hours; now, looking at my drawings, they are amazing, but how was I going to make them? I had no idea but it took lots of trial and error until I got the shapes right; I didn’t sleep much or eat or workout often. Still, it was so much learning. I feel like if you’re studying and get the opportunity to present at fashion week, do it. It’s scary and frustrating, but once you’re sitting there and do the fitting and see your designs and name come out on the runway, and there are people from the fashion industry, you get to see their reactions, and it’s worth everything. Even though it lasts like two minutes all for those three months of grinding but those two minutes are so worth it.
What is your favourtie type of garment to make?
The one I have not made yet, meaning I feel that right now, as an example, I am learning so much and getting out of my comfort zone, so I love to buy new resources and reference books. At LaSalle, we have all those books. Still, I love to get into new things like lingerie, and it’s so different to measure someone their body and the curves are like architecture; all the bodies are different, for example, with jeans, not everything fits me. But, if I can make it myself it’s perfect, my favourite garment to make is what I haven’t made yet just because it’s so much learning, don’t trap yourself just only to make one category of clothing you need to experiment, so that’s my answer the garment that I haven’t made yet.
What is your long-term career goal?
Right now, it is my 2021 resolution. 2020 was very trusting for a lot of us. I had a new collection coming up. I ordered my fabrics from Korea. I still have them and will probably do something soon with LaSalle. Still, I want to focus on learning and getting my presence out there, putting out quality content, building my brand and name as a designer, making garments, getting my name out there, and keeping learning to make everything. I don’t want to be limited by this, and that I want to make sure that I’m not limited and can create whatever I want. By the end of the year, my goal will be to launch my brand just online for now and have a business setup, registered branding. I want to redo my logo and work on social media, maybe even join YouTube with high-quality content with a good camera and craftsmanship.
“I’m just a guy with a dream. I don’t feel that I’m special in all honesty; it’s just determination of wanting to do it, it’s just that that’s my goal. I always had this vision one day walking down the street and see my name in a beautiful store and being like, Woah, there’s another there that’s the dream.”
Last question, any advice for new students?
My strongest advice is to put in the work. Honestly, it’s not magic that might sound crazy to say, but talent is just determination. For me, talent is a word lazy people tend to use when they describe determination because if you do something six thousand times, you will do it nice eventually, and no one starts off being awesome. My first sample and skirt were trash; the waistband was all wrong; the zipper wouldn’t even close, and that’s normal.
My advice for LaSalle students is to work towards the goal of presenting at fashion week; not all schools have it. My second piece of advice is to be there. Many students just want to leave and beg for the class to end, but all the resources are there; you can put on music, sketch, drape. It’s like a playground. There is a lot of advice I would give, but the top ones are to be determined, hungry and don’t just stop in school; always go to the library after it’s not like you’re a geek just get inspiration go through the books, learn how to do different stitches. It will separate you from other designers.
The third piece of advice is one to always, always stay true to your design. I learned this because you are you, no one thinks like you, you’re unique in this world, you see the world differently than anyone else sees it. Your designs will never be any of the 7 billion other people’s designs. Stay true to who you are and your designs no matter what anyone tells you; they will say it’s too thick or this won’t work and that but, try it thousands of times and stay true to yourself. Jeans don’t have to have two pockets in the back as an example; if you want a pocket where there is usually a fly, put it there, people will say you’re crazy but geniuses are always criticized. Look at airplanes, cars and skyscrapers as examples. Always push the envelope and be yourself that way, you will lift yourself as a designer and not chasing what someone already did, so work hard and stay true to yourself always keep yourself learning, just that and when you have a passion, you just do it.
There will be days when you can’t always be motivated. Some days you will slack, and that’s okay. It sounds corny, but hard work pays off if you do something six thousand times, you’ll nail it; it doesn’t matter who you are like if you’ve never played basketball, but you play it all day every day, you’ll get better it’s impossible not too.
Thank you so much to Eduardo for taking the time to speak with me via zoom, I hope his journey inspired you to keep working for your dream and to push your limits well staying true to yourself. I look forward to seeing his career grow and see the many new designs and things he will learn on the way.
LCV Student Fashion Blog 