What kind of design do you specialise in?
There are so many different fields of visual merchandising which can include retail windows, store design, event and exhibition design, and photo styling- which is what I want to specialise in.
What does being a designer mean to you?
Being able to turn your ideas and imagination into real life!
What do you feel are the troubles with being a student designer?
Money and time. As a student you're usually on a tight budget which can sometimes make sourcing props and materials a little challenging. Therefore you need to really look into where you get your props and materials from which can be a really good learning experience for future projects when sourcing. Time is another big one! Finding time to between your projects and your personal life can be hard and you definitely do need that balance!
Do you have an ideology as a student artist?
Better to be over prepared than under prepared. Pack extra than what you'll need - you never know if you will need it on the day!
Have you ever worked on a cross-disciplinary project or would you be interested in it?
Yes and yes! Working in any aspect of visual merchandising requires team work; especially photo styling where you're working with photographers, assistants, make up artists and hair stylists. I've worked with small teams of 3 and teams of up to 10 people on photoshoots before. I was also lucky enough that my class got to collaborate with Sportsgirl to do their Chapel Street front window display.
Do you feel you have enough or any avenues for exposure as a designer?
It's really hard to get started and to get your name out there, but with things like work experience and Facebook pages advertising your work, it can help a lot to get you some exposure and to make connections. For more exposure its good to collaborate with other designers as they will usually post the work and mention you on their blogs and Facebooks. All exposure is good!
What keeps you going in terms of motivation??
It honestly took me a long time to get really motivated through out my first year and then came photo styling and everything had changed! I love and enjoy it so much! The whole process of concepts, sourcing props, organising a team and then seeing the final photo, even when its stressful. Doing what I love to do keeps me motivated.
Gabrielle Fatone
19
Diploma of Visual Merhandising at RMIT University.
Throughout year 12 I knew I wanted a really creative career. I researched into a few courses and loved the idea of creating interesting window displays while advertising products, little did I know photo styling would be my calling!