“The fashion designer with Adobe skills. Meet Gabrielle.”

When Gabrielle Fenech started her eponymous fashion label Gabrielle, she had never-ending opportunities to be as creative as she wanted. When she realised she could maximise her impact, gain more creative freedom & speed up her work, she decided to gain graphic design skills. This is her story.

You created a fashion label. Tell us about it.

I’ve always been in love with fashion. While I have a science background and work in finance, in 2015 I followed my creative side and launched Gabrielle, an independent fashion brand for high-end wardrobe pieces with a rebel aesthetic. Today, I run my label while also working in finance. My timetable is filled to the brim — and the effort is totally worth it.

Why did you take the Graphic Designer Associate course?

I wanted to invest in my own skills so that I could work on my fashion label faster and smarter, from designing my collections to promoting my work. I’m a self-taught fashion designer and had a basic knowledge of Adobe tools, but I wanted to take that to the next level with a complete and supportive study experience.

Which skills did you gain & how are these helping your creative work?

During the course, I became proficient in Adobe’s tools Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop.

As a fashion designer, one of the ways I get creative is by drawing new patterns for each collection and I became a big fan of Illustrator to draw those patterns digitally.

Photography also plays a crucial role in presenting and promoting my collections. By learning how to use Photoshop, I achieved great freedom at post-production stage, giving shots the tone that reflected the mood for each specific collection.

What did you like most about your study experience?

First of all, the support I received was incredible. My educator was helpful & patient all the way through and literally made studying fun. I loved the practical side of the course — I was able to express my creativity by experimenting with different project work across different tools. Also, the fact that lessons were delivered online live was a game changer for me. I could focus without distractions around me and was spared a few long bus rides, since I do not drive.

What’s next for you?

I would like to grow the Gabrielle brand even further. I’m confident that with the skills I gained to help my work, I can achieve my growth objectives. In fact, I’d love to gain digital marketing skills too, so that I can perfect my brand’s voice and reach the right audiences for collections & commissions.

What’s your message to people wanting the practical skills to fuel their creativity?

My advice would be — if you want to thrive, keep learning and believe in yourself. As creatives, everything around us can inspire us and having the right skills at our disposal to make the most of that inspiration can nourish our creative output in ways we wouldn’t even think of.

Gabrielle followed her passion and turned it into a unique fashion brand. With the help of her new graphic design skills, she’s showing how creative entrepreneurs can make the most of their busy schedule to unleash their creative side. We wish her all the best and can’t wait to see more of her creations!