Vancouver Community College (VCC) Fashion grad Meghan Buckley, operating under the brand MGHN, was the recipient of an inaugural scholarship awarded last month at Vancouver Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2018 by Sue Randhawa of The Optical Boutique.
Sue Randhawa is a notable Vancouver Fashion Week attendee and an advocate for self-expression through fashion. “I’m so impressed with the talent coming out of our city,” Sue announced. “I believe that you should go after your dreams, buck the system, do what you want to do. Congratulations Meghan, you deserve it.”
Sue surprised Meghan right after she showcased MGHN’s debut collection, I N I T I A L S. “I was shocked when Sue announced my name,” said Meghan. “Fashion Week can be overwhelming for a newcomer, so her words of encouragement meant a lot to me. I hope I can live up to them with the next collection.”
Meghan graduated from VCC’s Fashion Arts Diploma program (now the Fashion Design and Production Diploma) after having first completed a B.A. in psychology at the University of British Columbia. This background has given her a unique perspective, which often includes exploring the forces at work behind our thoughts and behaviours through visual or constructional elements.
Her creative brand MGHN takes a visually minimal and androgynous approach to design, striving to achieve both material and emotional comfort regardless of gender. “To me, clothing doesn’t need to be complex to be fashionable,” says Meghan. “It’s also important the clothes are compelling without needing to fit into traditional gender confines, which can seem outdated.”
MGHN’s debut collection, I N I T I A L S, showcased the brand's core design trademarks of oversized silhouettes, clean lines, and contrasting pop elements. The pieces took inspiration from the playful yet coherent style of team sportswear and recreational attire. Using repetitive motifs and consistent shapes, I N I T I A L S created a personal “uniform,” providing a base on which to consider the ideas of a changing identity and the isolating nature of self-doubt.
With the scholarship and Sue’s encouragement fresh in her mind, Meghan is already hard at work on her next collection. “I’m excited to see how the brand’s aesthetic will evolve,” says Meghan. “I think the best is still to come.”
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VCC Fashion students design, prototype, produce, and market items in real-life retail environments. Visit our Downtown Vancouver design labs and learn more at an upcoming info sesion.
