Fashion Colloquia participants take on 36 hour shirt challenge

Fashion Colloquia participants take on 36 hour shirt challenge

Thirty-six hours can seem like a long time to shop, but is it enough to tailor-make a shirt in Ho Chi Minh City?

Professor Robyn Healy, Head of the School of Fashion and Textiles at RMIT University in Melbourne, challenged participants at the Producing Fashion: Made in Vietnam event to tailor-make a shirt within 36 hours.

Addressing the audience at RMIT Vietnam’s Saigon South campus, Professor Healy said: “I want everyone here to have a ‘Made in Vietnam’ shirt.”

“You can just go to a really great boutique with an independent designer and purchase it, or you can go to the fabric markets to buy your fabric and then have the tailor make that up.”

A tailor-made shirt with a touch of Vietnam (Source: Instagram). A tailor-made shirt with a touch of Vietnam (Source: Instagram).

Kate Kennedy, Program Manager for RMIT University’s Master of Fashion (Entrepreneurship) program, said the idea for the challenge came to her at the end of a previous study abroad trip when students commented that they regretted not having made suits because the process was too overwhelming.

“The 36 Hour Shirt Challenge is about experiencing a service that we don’t get in shops anymore,” Ms Kennedy explained.

“In the western world, tailor-made clothing is rare. The challenge encourages participants to experience the culture and the challenges in a tailor-made environment.”

“Every item from a tailor has a story,” Ms Kennedy added.

“We want participants to create items that they would wear again and again, reminding them of this experience.”

Reflecting on her own experience of getting a ‘Made in Vietnam’ shirt, Ms Kennedy said: “There are many talented tailors in Vietnam and everywhere you go you can find tailors.”

Getting a shirt done in 36 hours is easy, she concluded.

An event participant wears a shirt that was made in three hours (Source: Instagram). An event participant wears a shirt that was made in three hours (Source: Instagram).

Event participants who took up the challenge have documented their experiences on Instagram. 

Story: Jessica Coffey

12 July 2016

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