Continuing our support of the bright young things of fashion, this year we’ve teamed up with Frankie magazine to support the LMFF Metamorphosis Student Showcase.  We caught up with the amazingly talented finalists as they get set to hit the catwalk.

East meets West with the intricate, beautifully-tailored designs of RMIT grad Yoan Hendrik Limah. Melding two different fashion traditions together, the talented 21-year-old creates harmonious designs with a cutting-edge approach. We caught up with Yoan to chat al things fashion and LMFF as she gets set to hit the Melbourne stage.

SPORTSGIRL: HI YOAN! CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF?

YOAN HENDRIK LIMAH: I came to Australia in 2005 to be professionally trained as a fashion designer in RMIT University. As my studies progressed, I started to have an interest in tailoring and its techniques, which is now the basis of everything I do. In 2007, I was fortunate to have the chance to do an internship with the fashion label, S!X, and have been under their mentorship since. In 2009 I managed to acquire an internship in Paris, under the guidance of a designer named Tillmann Lauterbach. Back in Melbourne, I showed part of my final year collection in the Melbourne Spring Fashion Week as a part of ‘Twenty Eight’ the RMIT 4th Year Fashion Show. I  graduated from RMIT University in December 2009 with the title, Bachelor of Design (Fashion), and was awarded Honours 1st class.

SG: AND YOUR COLLECTION FOR THE LMFF METAMORPHOSIS STUDENT SHOWCASE?

YHL: A two-dimensional piece of garment served the purpose of clothing for the Eastern body for centuries before the Westerners came to Asia. The clothing acts as a veil to the body underneath, unlike Western garments, which tend to be cut three-dimensionally, shaping the body underneath it. The collection is a reflection to the two different approaches in the history of clothing design.

SG:  HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE?

YHL: My style is best described as the point of intersection between East and West, feminine and masculine, and a circle and a square.

SG: HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE SHOWING AT THE LMFF?

YHL: I am very honoured to be a part of the prestigious Festival and very thankful to have the chance to start out in the perfect platform.

SG: WHAT OR WHO IS YOUR BIGGEST INSPIRATION?

YHL: Yves Saint Laurent and Yohji Yamamoto.

SG:  WHAT’S YOUR ULTIMATE GOAL?

YHL: My ultimate goal is to run my own label.