Submissions for IDA 2024 are now closed. Finalize your entries by December 8, 2024.
CARLY VIDAL WALLACE
Fashion Curator / Writer and Marketing Strategist
Carly has a fifteen-year history working closely in the fashion industry having been based in Paris, Los Angeles and Australia. Some of the titles she has held range from Fashion Editor, Stylist, to Creative Director having owned her own label, to then go on and create an annual Fashion Festival where she was the Founder and Director in one of Australia’s largest States. Her experience also stretched into Fashion Curation where she has a reputation for having an eye for the most likely to succeed emerging fashion designers.
Lastly, Carly often consults on a marketing and branding perspective lecturing in Universities and working with fashion and luxury companies refining their entire marketing strategy and reach to increase sales and engagement. She has consulted with businesses from university graduates starting out, to managing global teams in cross country campaigns with companies with turnover in excess of $60m. She has a passion for sustainability and hopes in every role she takes on to make the biggest impact possible to creating a sustainable fashion world. Her stand out career moments has been interviewing Mr Jimmy Choo OBE and chatting about all things fashion at a private fashion event with Diane von Fürstenberg.
After reviewing the IDA projects, did you see evidence of any current trends in the design industry?
I saw the designs take on a bit more vibrancy this year and more creativeness after the previous year of confinement with the pandemic.
What do you think are the biggest challenges and opportunities facing the design industry now (in your particular sector)?
I think supply chain has had a major disruption which is forcing designers to think about more localised solutions which can have impact on what resources go into designing the garments which can have impact on the overall design aspect. Society is more open to investing in local pieces so the opportunity is to be able to market this to the audience.
What did you most enjoy about the IDA judging process?
Every year I absolutely love seeing the creative design aspect. Seeing what the next generation design always reflects the world as it is, as fashion always shows the culture we are living in.
Was there one particular design which really stood out for you?
I really loved the skirt design from Olivia Natasha Jieftara with all the yarn and multiple layers. She used a mix of mediums of reused textiles and I just loved the final outcome.
What did you think about the quality of the entries in the IDA?
The quality of the entries to me seems to get better each year.
How much influence does your own personal taste influence your decisions in judging a design award?
After working as a curator of fashion for some years, and also giving feedback to fashion college students on their design choices, I do remove my own personal taste from judging. I look at the artistic value, the commercialism, the story behind the brand and the authenticity.
What advice would you give to future entrants?
Enter! Even if you don’t win, the chance to have your designs seen by the jury is winning in my books. I often note down brands to watch and follow them after seeing their entry.
What did you learn from this experience, and is there anything that you learned that you will take back to your respective business?
As I’m on the look out for jewellery designers for my new business www.sheher.com I absolutely learnt all the new designers who I wanted to personally invite to the platform.
What are you working on, what is in the pipeline for you for 2021?
This year I am launching a global jewellery marketplace for independent designers. This means I’m even more so looking out for prospective new jewellery entrants!