Wearable art from head to toe.

Returning to the Nishi this autumn is one of our favourite Canberra creatives who has become renowned around town for her designs which combine an easy-wear quality with a glamourous 'fashions on the field' feel. Her name is Jade Sargent of label SOVATA, and this talented CIT fashion graduate will be armed with a collection of new winter pieces next week, including womenswear and sculptural winter hats featuring bold colours and mixing felts and leather. Better yet, Jade's pieces are all zero-waste, meaning she makes 3D patterns and wraps her fabrics around the patterns to ensure nothing is wasted.

 

The fun fact I always love to share about Jade's label, SOVATA, is where the name came from. Well, 'S' is for Sargent, Jade's surname, and 'Ovata' is the botantical name for Jade. Did you know SOVATA will also be hitting the runway at Fashfest in the coming weeks? This major fashion event will take place at the award-winning Canberra Airport, in a huge industrial space which, in its raw form, is the perfect backdrop to showcase Canberra’s fashion talent. Jade's new collection will feature on Friday 2 May, grab your tickets here.

 

 

 

 

 

What is it about Hustle&Scout that made you want to re-apply to be a stallholder?

Hustle&Scout is a great environment. It provides a quirky, relaxed, fun and creative stage for stall holders. I wanted to re-apply because it has given me a chance to come face-to-face with my consumer, chat to people about what I do, what makes me tick and show people that designer fashion and millinery is approachable.

 

What do you love about working with fashion?  What keeps you creatively motivated?

Fashion for me is wearable art. The body is my canvas and I create garments and millinery that allow me to express myself. Bold contrasting colour choices and contrasting material choices teamed with working with my hands and experimentation keep me creatively motivated.

 

 

 

 

 

What is your design workspace like?

At the moment my design workspace is a shared space with another local fashion designer Annette Clarke and her label Dissonance. It is a small spare bedroom full of equipment, materials and mannequins which can make it tough. I am lucky enough to have an understanding husband and housemate that don’t mind when I take over the dining table and lounge room when I am working on lots of jobs at once. Thanks guys :)

 

Do you feel your label is evolving? If so, why and how?

Sovata is evolving slowly but you know what they say "slow and steady wins the race". The opportunity to connect with the public through Hustle&Scout has been a great help. The chance to show again for the second time at FASHFEST is wonderful and I hope that it will help to propel my label forward into bigger and better things. Catch SOVATA on the Friday night, night 3 of the 4 day show case.

 

Tell us a little bit about your collection for Fashfest 2014.

My upcoming collection for FASHFEST is called ‘Ex Libris’. It is an occasional wear collection filled with the SOVATA design signatures for example a bold and unique colour way, contrasting fabrics ranging from silks, leather and tulle. Zero-waste construction in both garments and millinery. I am really excited about the collection, it will be beautiful, bold and creative.

 

What can punters expect to find at the upcoming autumn market?

At the next market I will be bringing a collection of autumn, winter hats ready for the racing season. Felts and leather will be the focal point of the stall along with bright, bold colours. If you are looking for a unique winter racing hat come and say hi and try some on.