Ginan Tabbouch Glitch Interview

Straight Out Of Bankstown And Ready To Take On The Fashion World 2.0

Local Bankstown Fashion Designer Ginan 'G' Tabbouch is getting ready to launch her second runway collection at RAW AUSTRALIA October 3rd at Orion Centre in Campsie.

Unisex street wear is the focus of her namesake brand, GTAB, and the new Capsule 2020 Collection 'GLITCH' is designed and made locally, whilst taking its inspiration from the diverse, multi-cultured Sydney she grew up in and her recent trip to the city of Hong Kong.

"This Collection is going to shake things up a little" she says. "I had a lot of backlash with my first collection regarding my model choices and this is my redemption."

Ginan grew up in Bankstown with Middle Eastern and Brazilian parents. She is passionate about voicing stories of the youth from postcode 2200, and the 'GLITCH' collection is a commentary on the issues that face them - highlighting a need for diversity and inclusivity representation in Australia.

"Glitch is my comeback, I have chosen models that speak louder than my clothes yet seamlessly tell the story of the capsule. This collection is more mute, design wise but louder in concept."

Ginan is a 'triple threat' with fashion, music and film studies already under her belt. As well as her fashion label, G will also be launching her second rap remix single at RAW AUSTRALIA.

"Fashion and music collide and interchange in my world - there's a synergy there. I tell my stories through rapping and through designing. But in this collection, you don't need to look too close to see my message. The model choice will tell it all. I wasn't afraid to go there, to do something no one in the industry is willing to do." she says.

The colours are dark using read & black fabrics, the embellishments are inspired by the lights in the city of Hong Kong, and the designs are oversized. G says "people look at hoodies and think "street rat" but this represents far more than that, it is the need to be visible, to tell the story of the rat race yet still feel protected and safe.

Fabrics include Damascus grade fleece and G's own couture techniques in embroidery, beading, graffiti and fabric painting. G uses both the music and fashion worlds as a means of storytelling, seamlessly moving between them and infusing both with a poetic and political intensity.

As G says "its time to change the game, I am no longer considered a glitch in the system!"

Ginan launched her debut collection 'S8 OUTA BNX' last year at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week and since then has showcased her work at many local events including Western Sydney Fashion Festival and The Voice. She is currently directing and styling local artists with their music and creative vision for all their promo needs.
@ginantab

Interview with Ginan Tabbouch

Question: Can you tell us about your second runway collection?

Ginan Tabbouch: The second runway is a capsule collection, its sole purpose is to provide a bridge between my two major collections, one from the past and one from the future. If you look at it overall it's creating a seamless story that will make sense ten years from now. I like to design in the future for the present. Back to the question, my second collection is called GLITCH, and it is the telling of how diversity in today's society is considered a glitch in the system. Something that went wrong. I am highlighting how what is considered a "glitch" is in fact what makes the world go around. It is beautiful, it is captivating, and it is a necessity.

Question: What have you learnt since launching your debut collection?

Ginan Tabbouch: I have learnt that people crave different, they want to see something diverse, they want to feel and be shocked. I learnt that the world is craving culture, languages, colour and emotion. So, I've taken that feedback and fed it to the soul of my future designs and launches. Be bolder, be louder.


Question: How has your style changed and developed since S8 OUTA BNX?

Ginan Tabbouch: My style is more sustainable. I have used all my old fabrics that were left over from my first collection and created a simple capsule that takes you from S8 OUTA BNX to next year's collection. There are A LOT of hints to what's coming. Glitch's main purpose in to bridge, to drop hints. Essentially, my style is still street wear on crack, it's still tells the stories because I stay true to GTAB.


Question: Where did you draw inspiration for this collection, from?

Ginan Tabbouch: Gosh, it's so hard to answer this question in such a simple way. My brain runs on so many different wavelengths, I almost never bother to keep up. I'm inspired by everything and when you see GLITCH, you'll understand what I mean. However, let me meditate and give you a finite answer. I was in Tartous, Syria. I saw a building and decided to wonder, as you step into the building's structure, to my right was a thousand and one colourful wires, intertwined together, over and over, each fighting to reach it's destination, to send that signal. That is GLITCH. The inside of a system, that failed us because we are different.


Question: What inspired the name Glitch?

Ginan Tabbouch: When a system is running and momentarily it fluctuates, it glitches, then pulls itself back together because you pressed rest, or you banged it a few times, then it struggles but always picks itself up and keeps going. Technology, a metaphor for diversity. No matter how much they tried to wash it out, it comes back faster, harder and more efficient than ever.


Question: How do you hope to shake things up with Glitch?
Ginan Tabbouch: To present a different perspective on what it feels like to not fit in, to be bullied, to be oppressed, to be labeled a name you never asked to be labeled. I want to provide insight; I'm not looking for a solution, just an understanding. My models that I have chosen to walk for GTAB, come from all different walks of life. They are almost a tokenism to what GTAB is representing. For now, I am keeping my model choices a secret because on launch night, pictures will speak louder than words.


Question: How are you preparing ahead of the launch at RAW AUSTRALIA?

Ginan Tabbouch: I am creating mini video clips regarding this GLITCH movement on social platforms, spreading the word, getting people hyped to come support their local artists. I am also working on a runway track, called GLITCH. I usually launch each collection with a rap; usually the rap inspires a collection. In regards to designing, I'm in my second stage of production which is the embellishment part.


Question: What's a typically day like, for you?

Ginan Tabbouch: Wish I could say I have a typical routine, but I don't. Each day is very different and it usually consists of me running around Sydney via public transport like a headless chicken, lugging a huge RED luggage. I am usually sourcing fabrics, embellishments, beading, paint, any missing things I need. Or running to my machinist, collecting finished pieces. I also style and do creative directing for local Australian artists for all their promo needs like music videos, album covers and photo shoots. Hence why I'm on set a lot. If I have rehearsals, I'll prepare my lines on the train there. Maybe take my mother to the doctor, then go back home, embellish another piece of the collection. Sometimes I do a live cooking show, if I'm making my little sister dinner. I also tutor, random I know. But most of all, I spend my time watching YouTube videos because my hobby is to learn, everything. Oh, shameless plug: I like to share my journey via my Instagram stories @ginantab, which I recommend you check out!


Question: What's next for you?

Ginan Tabbouch: SLEEP (laughs). After GLITCH, I'm preparing for a play production happening in December. I play a gypsy, so super excited for that role. Then, it's designing another collection for next year's fashion week. That one is going to be even bigger and better, fingers and toes crossed.


Interview by Brooke Hunter
Photo Credit: @shujaofficial, @meninthistown