I am a complete failure when it comes to sewing dresses; in fact, I relegated my sewing machine to the attic just last week. Brisbane fashionista Rachel Burke, however, is currently making one dress for every single day of the year. She’s trying to raise $10,000 for the Starlight Children’s Foundation through her dress-a-day challenge I Make My Day and she needs as much help as she can get! I had a chat with Rachel in between lots of cutting, stitching and sewing. 
Tell us a little bit about yourself! I’m 22 and live in Brisbane! I grew up in Melbourne, but moved up to Queensland in 2003 to finish off High School at Brigidine College in Indooroopilly . I was always an artsy and crafty kid, but it wasn’t until my last couple of years in High School that I really started to develop an intense love for designing clothes. How did the I Make You Wear Project start? Up until late 2009 I had my sights entirely set on a career in Musical Theatre. I was studying the musical course of my dreams, living in Melbourne, and generally seemed right on track to where I wanted to be. But in some sort of Oprah-esque moment, and after some time of questioning whether I was actually happy in what I was doing, I came to the realisation that musical theatre really wasn’t what I wanted to devote my WHOLE life to. So, after a lengthy weeping/chat session with my Mum, I hopped on a plane back to Brisbane to start life completely afresh. This proved trickier than expected. For the first time in my life I was absent of a creative goal, and firm direction, and I really didn’t like it. I found myself incredibly frustrated, and enrolled in a writing degree just to feel like I was doing something with my time. After weeks of trying to find something to get me creatively excited, I went for a walk and bought a slurpee from my local 7/11. It was on that walk that I thought up the idea for ‘I Make You Wear It’ and the concept of donating the proceeds to charity. Where do you get ideas for your designs every day? I love reading and find that many of the ideas for my designs come from stories and illustrations. I also try to draw inspiration from the world around me, and the delightful people in my life. What dresses are currently on your lust list? I totally adore the Love Story Taylor Swift Floral Cotton Bustier Dress at Lily Boutique! The ditsy floral pattern is totally cute and perfectly suited to a summer/spring date night or trip to the local fair. I could see myself sipping ice-tea in this dress! Clouds In the Sky Cotton Sundress too! What a cute dress! I love a good blue and white combo in a frock, and this certainly does not dissapoint. I could see myself wandering down to the markets in this dress… Thanks Rachel for taking the time out of your crazy creating schedule! If you’d like to donate to her project, you can do so at I Make My Day. Also, if you know of someone making waves in the fashion industry, we’d love to hear about it! x
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