Ginan Tabbouch Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Interview

Raffles College of Design and Commerce Students

Raffles College of Design and Commerce is once again leading the charge with their cultivation of the best up-and-coming Australian design talent, showcasing seven designer's Resort '19 collections, at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia, for another year.

The Raffles International Showcase has been part of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia calendar since 2012 and is regarded as one of the most anticipated designer shows of MBFWA. Over the past six years, Raffles have showcased over 50 graduate's design collections, including both local and international talent. Constantly looking to push the boundaries of fashion and design, Raffles is pleased to be presenting at MBFWA once again.

The Raffles International Showcase at MBFWA 2018 will continue its precedence of disruption and innovation, presenting industry leaders with the best emerging Australian design talent.

Comprised of collections from seven Raffles graduate students, the International Showcase will present exciting design aesthetics alongside interesting uses of technology and design techniques. The collections will display read-to-wear pieces, accessible across all markets, including womenswear, contemporary menswear, couture design, and street wear.

Ultimately the International Showcase will look to reinforce Raffles' reputation as a premier fashion and commerce educator within Australia, allowing students access to the best education and talent within the fashion industry.

"The chosen designers have an incredibly bright future ahead of them and the standard of work is a testament to the talent and dedication of Raffles students nationally and internationally. We believe that the Raffles International Showcase really demonstrates our fashion-forward thinking and exposes our students to industry leaders" said Nicholas Comino, Program Director for Fashion Design and Fashion Marketing at Raffles College of Design and Commerce.

"We hope to give them the best possible support to create and present their individual brands throughout this process, so that the International Showcase can act as a real head start on their exciting fashion futures" comments Nicholas.

Continuing its reputation for excellence, Raffles will once again be collaborating with the best in the business at the International Showcase; Redken as the official hair partner and Utowa as the official makeup partner. Additionally, the seven designers will be receiving highly valuable business mentoring from the esteemed Lorraine Lock at The Design Residency, a partnership which has continued between Raffles and The Design Residency for the past three years.

The Raffles International Showcase will take place on Day 4 of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia – 3pm, Wednesday 16th May at Gallery 1 in Carriageworks, Eveleigh

Raffles' designers and collections showing at MBFWA include:
Carley Bishop – Carley Rose The Label
Ginan Tabbouch – GTAB
Ingrid Husodo – INGRID HUSODO
Ken Quoc Khang Nguyen and Tiana Ha Phuong Thao Van – VALUSTA
Leah Williams – Leah Williams
Mary Thanh-Ngan Quach and Alexandra Uyen Nguyen – A.M.
Vivian Tung - VIVIANTUNG

INSTAGRAM: @RafflesSydney
TWITTER: @RafflesSydney

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/ RafflesSydney
WEBSITE: www.raffles.edu.au

Interview with Ginan Tabbouch

Ginan Tabbouch is a highly-talented, multi-disciplinary designer of Syrian and Brazilian heritage who, now based in Bankstown, communicates her personal story and artistic vision through both music and fashion.

Unisex streetwear is the focus of her namesake brand, GTAB, and her debut Resort -19 collection 'S8 OUTA BNX' which will be shown in the Raffles International Showcase at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia 2018.

Ginan studied at Raffles College of Design and Commerce, as well as completing a semester during her degree as an exchange student at the prestigious Politecnico Di Milano in 2013. Since graduating, Ginan has worked with internationally recognised brands such as in-house at RED Valentino and has been acknowledged for her talent with a host of awards including 1st Place Evening Wear (TAWFA, Tamworth 2015) and Virgin Australia's Young Designer Award (2016).

Ginan is passionate about voicing the stories of youth from Western Sydney and the 'S8 OUTA BNX' collection is a commentary on the issues that face them - domestic violence, drug abuse, homelessness, racial profiling and racism. Fabrics used in the collection include denim and Ginan's own prints featuring lyrics from her rap album which will debut on the runway also.

Ginan uses both the music and fashion worlds as inspiration and a means of storytelling, seamlessly moving between them and infusing both with her own political messaging.

'MBFWA is a such an exciting platform to tell my story and the story of others via music and fashion. To express ones struggles and experiences via creative means. It's time the youth are heard. I'm putting Bankstown and it's closet of secrets on the map. I'm here and I'm confronting, and this is why my designs hold importance," comments Ginan on her collection and involvement in the Raffles International Showcase.

https://www.ginantab.com

Question: What encouraged you to study at Raffles College of Design and Commerce?

Ginan Tabbouch: I loved the fact that Raffles College of Design and Commerce gave us the opportunity to showcase our work in a runway format and to participate in MBFWA so we had this ongoing relationship past graduation.

Question: Where do you find inspiration when creating your designs?

Ginan Tabbouch: I find inspiration wherever I go. A simple conversation can spark a creative design idea in my mind. I often take inspiration from peoples struggles, accomplishments and what motivates them. It allows me to create a wonderful story via design.

Question: How does it feel to be showcasing your collection at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia?

Ginan Tabbouch: It feels incredible to be showcasing my collection in the Raffles International Showcase at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. It is a great accomplishment and a lot of hard work, but I enjoy it. I feel like I'm on a mission greater than myself to inspire people and retell stories via an amazing Australian platform.


Question: Can you tell us about the collection you'll be showcasing at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia?

Ginan Tabbouch: S8 OUTA BANX is a hip hop, RnB, streetwear collection based on the rapper movement of the 1970s. A time where a music revolution was occurring underground in the Bronx of New York. A time where the youth were craving a way to voice their stories and let the world know their struggles. The collection visually expresses the stories of youth from 2200, a western suburb of Sydney. The designs acknowledge issues such as domestic violence, drug abuse, homelessness, racial profiling and racism.

The prints have lyrics of my rap album which will debut on the runway during fashion week. Regarding the pattern making, it is created in a way these clothes could almost substitute as a sleeping bag for the homeless youth. I aspire to give the struggling youths a voice through my work.

Question: Can you share with us the details of your label?

Ginan Tabbouch: GTAB is a label of the people. What you see is what's within you. It's the different facets of a human race. It's the rapper, the designer, the actor. It's your inner child dreaming, and your inner hustler making sure you accomplish your goals. It's the person willing to fight and stand up for what they believe in. It's your ability to see past the surface and delve inside the inner working of humanity.

Question: Can you share your earliest design memory, with us?

Ginan Tabbouch: I was around 4 years old and I lay on my floor with all my coloured pencils and I started drawing circles. I was swirling different colours and different sizes of circles almost like I was creating a lens, to see a kaleidoscope. I wanted to create eyes where I could see beyond the surface. Maybe I was creating my first microscope. I didn't want people to judge based on surface values, I wanted them to see beyond that and see the inner magic that we all have inside of us.


Interview by Brooke Hunter