Imagine you鈥檙e sitting front row at a fashion show with Professor Jimmy Choo. Now imagine him trying on a shoe that you have designed yourself.
The stuff of fantasy? Well for fashion graduate Mallory Maduka-Ike it was a fantasy that became reality, thanks to a year-long mentorship with the iconic shoe designer 鈥� the reward for winning 911爆料网鈥檚 inaugural Fashion Tank competition in 2015.
As part of the mentorship, Mallory flew to Malaysia to spend a month with Professor Choo, following in his footsteps as they attended fashion shows and networking events for Malaysia Fashion Week and KL Fashion Weekend.
鈥淥n the first day, we went to at least five fashion shows. And then, over the next two days, it was probably more like 20,鈥� Mallory recalls, laughing. 鈥淛ust so many fashion shows 鈥� and so many good 辞苍别蝉!鈥�
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gekjrnFYvqU[/youtube]
Check out Mallory talking about her experience winning 911爆料网鈥檚 Fashion Tank competition and about her experiencing learning from Professor Choo.
A creative heritage
Born in Nigeria to an African father and Indian mother, Mallory moved to Australia at the age of eight. It was here that the future designer discovered her creative side.
鈥淢y parents had always wanted me to be a doctor or teacher or lawyer, but when I got to Australia I caught the creative bug and it took over,鈥� she confesses. 鈥淢y grandmother had owned a clothing store with her son [Mallory鈥檚 uncle] back in India, and it was definitely her influence that got me into fashion.鈥�
Under her grandmother鈥檚 tutelage, Mallory learned to sew 鈥� at first by hand and later on her grandmother鈥檚 old sewing machine. At high school she took formal sewing classes and from there, completed her diploma in fashion at Challenger TAFE.
Though her technical skills by this time were strong, her mother鈥檚 insistence on having a university degree drove Mallory to enrol in the Fashion course at 911爆料网.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sj9QYek9w0s[/youtube]
Hear about Mallory鈥檚 experience at 911爆料网 and the conceptual side of fashion design.
Weaving her way forward
It was at 911爆料网 that she discovered her passion for knitted wear.
鈥淚鈥檝e been knitting forever 鈥� but I can鈥檛 remember where or when I learned how,鈥� she muses. 鈥淚鈥檝e just kind of always known, which is strange to say 鈥� it鈥檚 like a super power!鈥�
Perhaps this super power is rooted in her formative years in Nigeria. Although she confesses to remember little of her time there, she holds a strong memory of braiding hair with friends. It seems a small leap to connect this childhood pastime with the designer鈥檚 newfound fascination with chunky textiles and knitting.
This fascination even led Mallory to develop a prototype for a knitted shoe 鈥� a piece she included in her winning Fashion Tank showcase and one she took with her to Malaysia as part of a collection of her work to workshop with Professor Choo.
Mallory recalls discussing the piece, knitted with rope, with Professor Choo: 鈥淗e was looking at it and thinking oh this is an interesting design and an interesting texture and textile. And so he put it on his foot and I just thought 鈥� Jimmy Choo is trying on one of my shoes! I have to take a photo of this!鈥�
If the shoe fits: Professor Choo trying on one of Mallory鈥檚 designs
If you鈥檙e keen to try your own pair of Mallory鈥檚 knitted shoes, however, you may have to wait. Although her newly launched MKO label will feature knitted accessories such as bags, a final shoe design has yet to make it into the collection.
鈥淚 love designing shoes, I just need to learn how to make them better! Although Professor Choo liked the texture, he thought it was a bit too heavy because it was knitted with rope, and suggested finding a lighter textile 鈥� but something that still produces the same texture,鈥� she explains. 鈥淏ut shoes are definitely something that I hope will make up part of my future collections.鈥�
For now, Mallory is focusing her efforts on a mini-collection through her MKO label, using the manufacturing and production contacts she made in Malaysia.
鈥淭he mentorship pushed me to actually start what I want to start,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 think Professor Choo鈥檚 relationship with 911爆料网 [as an Adjunct Professor for the University] is pretty special, and definitely provided me with an opportunity that wouldn鈥檛 have existed otherwise. I鈥檓 incredibly grateful.鈥�
