A Footscray designer with a social conscious is making her mark in the fashion world.
Iva Pfeiffer has been selected as one of just a handful of emerging designers invited to the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia showcase in Sydney, opening this Sunday.
The week-long schedule of runway shows, presentations and key industry events gives Australian designers a platform to connect with a global audience.
Ms Pfeiffer said she was honoured to be invited to share her designs on the MBFWA runway.
“I’m right at the beginning of my career so this could be an opportunity for opening the door,” she said.
“It’s been exciting and a challenge, I’m looking forward to seeing how the public and people from the industry will react to my work.”
Ms Pfeiffer, 30, trained as a tailor while still living in her birth country the Czech Republic.
She came to Australia eight years ago to study English and has made the “beautiful country” her home after meeting her partner here.
A stint in Japan sparked a love for Oriental fabrics and patterns and was the catalyst for a move into the design world.
Ms Pfeiffer studied at Raffles College of Design and Commerce in Sydney and in 2014 was selected to attend a prestigious masterclass at the Arts of Fashion Foundation in Paris, exhibiting two garments at the Louvre.
Her hand-crafted garments, featuring layers of sheer organza, silk and her own unique patchwork, are inspired by 1920s Orientalism, Korean traditional patchwork and artists such as Sonia Delaunay and Paul Klee.
Ms Pfeiffer said she has become concerned about the modern mass-production processes of clothing manufacture that has become a part of today’s global fashion industry.
She has therefore focused on ethically-developed fashion, aiming to create a collection that embodies both social responsibility and eco-friendly style.
“I think people are starting to recognise the problems, people know it’s not right but it’s often hard to make comparisons about where clothes are coming from.”
Following the MBFWA showcase Ms Pfeiffer will be auctioning off pieces from a recent collection inspired by the stories of refugees, will all proceeds to go to UNHCR, the leading charity supporting refugees.
