Q&A: 5 minutes with Alisha Schick
This year, one of Edmonton’s local treasures celebrates the 10th anniversary of her ready-to-wear label, Suka Clothing (sukaclothing.ca). Alisha Schick is known for balancing feminine silhouettes with edgy geometric details, and her Spring 2012 show at Western Canada Fashion Week included an array of cool cosmic microprints. Here, the designer and fashion design instructor (she teaches at Edmonton’s MC College) talks secret fashion weapons and childhood fads.
What is your secret design weapon? “My sketchbook is my most important tool. I sketch a full figure for key pieces and looks, and then elaborate. There is always a strong story behind each collection.”
How has teaching affected your work? “Being an instructor has challenged my design beliefs and refined my skills and abilities as a designer. I learn as much from my students as they do from me.”
In a perfect world, how would we all be dressed? “Some of the most beautiful silhouettes and styles [are from the] 1920s and 1950s—any look from those eras would be heaven. It was a time when the focus was on quality design.”
When did fashion become a focus for you? “In Grade 5, I was the kid who had the asymmetrical haircut and a Beethoven-inspired blouse with a ruffled ascot.”