I did not know I inherently wanted to pursue fashion design when I was younger or that I would be interested in developing my own textiles and knitwear. I graduated from a French high school in Toronto in 2015 and intended to study business or science at The University of Toronto.
Presently, I have been afforded some time to reflect on the lived experiences that have shaped my opinions and practice.
My interest in making my own textiles stems from my childhood but was refined through my academic and professional experiences. Physical labor was integral to my childhood. I was constantly immersed in my parents’ work environments; my dad was a vegetable farmer in Newcastle and my mom was a financial controller for a building developer in Scarborough. Growing up, I recall helping my dad in the greenhouse during the spring at the start of the growing season. I also enjoyed gardening with my grandmother (a music teacher-cum- seamstress from Hong Kong) who moved to Toronto in the 90s to help my parents raise my sister and me. My childhood habits have now sublimated into a desire to work with my hands. I find myself constantly revisiting aspects of these environments in my current practice. I try to examine the formal and conceptual aspects of the clothing, tools and materials from both work environments in conjunction with my Chinese heritage as starting points in the potential for textiles and garments.
I also spent most of my childhood playing violin and piano through which I developed the habit of dedicating a significant amount of time honing my craft. There was a lot of trial and error, and lots of failure to get where I needed to be. Being open to harsh criticism, learning from it, and being resilient were lessons I learned early on and have been essential in my journey as I grow as a craftsman and aspiring designer.
In my sophomore year at Parsons, I had my first experience developing textiles in a class taught by Simone Leonhardt. My first formal internship experience at Narciso Rodriguez coupled with my time developing textiles for Jahnkoy’s Parsons M.F.A. graduate collection, set me on the pursuit to figure out what I had wanted to do with my thesis collection. After, I wanted to try something completely different and was a marketing intern at Jimmy Choo and then switched to Thom Browne as a product development intern. All of these experiences exposed me to different intersections across fashion, art, and commerce. However, I was still drawn to being able to work with materials with my hands.
During my third year, I studied abroad at Central Saint Martins (CSM) under the B.A. knit pathway which was extremely fulfilling. I saw how different approaches to design education yield very different student work. My time at Parsons and CSM fulfilled very different needs I had as a student. The various liberal arts and elective classes I took at Parsons informed my practice whereas the project-based approach at CSM provided me more time to focus and hone a specific craft.
After returning from abroad, I spent my 4th year focused on completing my economics degree and assisted Amy Crookes with making footwear for her Parsons M.F.A. graduate collection. I also returned to Thom Browne as an intern on their men’s design team where I spent most of my time creating fabric manipulations. At this point, I realized I was really invested in developing textiles and working on projects that required more of a human touch.
The conclusion I have drawn for myself is that these lived experiences helped me discern where my interests lie. I was exhausting the possibilities of what I could be and would want to be by the end of my studies. My advice to other design students is to experiment with intention, welcome failure, be uncompromising, be obsessed about and self-indulgent in your work, and to have fun.
As I work on my thesis collection, I find myself to be anxious yet excited for what my future holds as I will be navigating an industry that is changing very rapidly. How do I situate my work in a way that reflects the complexities of cultural positions today without being diminished to a supplier of aesthetic experiences nor be criticized if my desire is to simply earn a profit? Something I have been thinking about, but do not have the answer to at this point in time.
I thank the CFDA, my friends, my mentors and educators, the many people I will meet, and most importantly my parents for being a part of my journey. I am so very fortunate and forever grateful.
Aaron Mak was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. The 2019 CFDA honorable mention scholar is currently a senior at Parsons School of Design and Eugene Lang College, where he is completing a B.F.A. in fashion design and B.A. in economics.
