Best foot forward

By Lilly O’Gorman
ASPIRING designer and fash
ion journalist Nicole Malishev is
well on her way to realising her
future career dreams.
The talented Beaconhills Col
lege student’s work is currently on
display at the Top Designs Exhibi
tion at the Melbourne Museum as
part of The VCE Season of Excel
lence.
The exhibition showcases the
best designs from 2009 across a
range of unit 3 and 4 subjects
including Design and Technology,
Food and Technology, Systems
Engineering, Media, VET Multi
media and Visual Communica
tions and Design.
Nicole’s work, a display board
for Proenza Schouler including a
shoe design and magazine adver
tisement, is one of only 103 works
on display at the exhibition, select
ed from over 1600 applicants.
“I couldn’t believe it. I was so
surprised just finding out that I had
made the shortlist at the end of last
year,” Nicole said.
“I was over the moon.”
Nicole completed the project
for Unit 3 Visual Communications
and Design subject last year, while
still in Year 11.
She said earning her place
among the top VCE achievers in
the state had given her more confi
dence and inspired her to go even
further.
“It is definitely encouraging.
“I set myself a high standard
and I want to do well again this
year.”
Nicole says she enjoyed the
Visual Communication and
Design subject because it allowed
her to combine her passions for
both drawing and design.
“I have been drawing for a long
time. I have always loved it.”
Although many design stu
dents now rely on computers,
Nicole’s love for drawing means
she still prefers to complete her
projects by hand.
She also ensures her love of
fashion is incorporated into her
work.
For her folio this year in her
Studio Art unit, Nicole has
designed an item of clothing. She
then proceeded to make, model,
photograph, and edit the photos.
She is now in the final stages of
drawing her designs.
And that is just this semester’s
assignment.
But Nicole insists that what
seems like an overwhelming
workload, is actually her creative
release.
“If I didn’t do Studio Art, I
would go insane,” she said.
When she isn’t studying,
Nicole gets creative with her new
camera, doing fun photo shoots
with her friends. She also likes to
search for inspiration online,
scouring fashion and photography
blogs for what could very well be
her next award-winning fashion
idea.