Two local women who helped dressed rock stars and a First Lady will give their insights into the world of fashion at a special event in Buderim.
USC Design Lecturer Deborah Fisher and music industry costumier Cindy Vogels will discuss their experiences in the international fashion industry at an informal public event, themed ‘A Fashionable Conversation’.
Ms Fisher’s career has included designing seasonal collections for major American retailers, such as Bloomingdales and Macy’s.
She helped style one of the world’s most influential people.
“I remember the day First Lady Nancy Reagan walked into the studio at Liz Claiborne for her fittings and I thought to myself, you are not in Caboolture anymore,” she said.
“You are on Seventh Avenue in the heart of the garment centre.”
Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/scnews2020/
Ms Fisher is now an innovative fashion educator, researcher and a Lecturer in Fashion Studies at USC. She received the Women in Fashion award in 2020, for Outstanding Educator/Mentor in the industry.
Meanwhile, Ms Vogels is the founder of fashion label Racy & Lucky and prides herself on creating “one-off, obscure and beautiful garments” for music artists.
Her costumery has been worn by Lady Gaga and other stars and has been featured on screens, stages and red carpets across the world, including during London Fashion Week and the ARIAs.
Help keep independent and fair Sunshine Coast news coming by subscribing to our free daily news feed. All it requires is your name and email. See SUBSCRIBE at the top of this article.
Ms Fisher said the two local women shared similar backgrounds.
“Cindy grew up in Nambour while I grew up in Caboolture and we both left Australia to pursue our design aspirations before returning to continue working here,” she said.
“When I first wanted to take my fashion career to a new level, there was no Australian university offering a degree in fashion, so I applied to the Pratt Institute in New York and the world opened up to me.
“One of the themes we will discuss at the lounge bar lecture will be how Cindy and I continue to work and collaborate with our international colleagues, but from regional areas of Queensland.”
The free lecture will be held at the Buderim Tavern on October 28, from 6pm to 7.30pm, as part of a USC series called Lounge Bar Lectures, which allow people to raise their glass to local research while hearing from USC researchers and teaching academics who are experts in their field.
People interested in attending this event are required to register online from here.