Fashionista kids learn how to make skirts and fashion accessories

Once upon a time in every little girl’s life, she would play dress up, improvise blankets as long gowns, borrow her mom’s clothes, accessorize with trinkets then afterwards parade in front of the mirror or among family and peers, pretending to be a princess, a supermodel or whoever she imagines to be.

Once upon a time when Amina Aranaz-Alunan was a little girl, she too did that. And today, she is the co-founder of the School of Fashion and the Arts (SoFA), the Philippines’ first specialized fashion college, also a bag designer and a mover in the local fashion industry.

Recently, Helena, Amina’s three-year-old daughter, would insist on choosing her own clothes, and finding the shoes and bags to match. After completing her ensemble she would go to mom and request, “Can you please take my picture?” posing with gusto for the camera.

These moments with her daughter made Amina remember her own childhood and realized that just like her, Helena shows early fondness for style. This inspired her to provide an opportunity for little girls to enrich their fashion inclination.

“During my time, the workshops available were the usual art, dance, and singing. None would cater to my interests in clothes or dressing up; otherwise, my mom would have sent me,” Amina confessed.

Loralee Baron-Soong, Alunan’s partner in the school, shares the same sentiments, having a fashion-inclined daughter herself.

Recognizing that perhaps theirs are not the only girls with such interest, the two created SoFA’s Summer Kids Workshop “for kids who have interest in the art of fashion,” said Amina.

Last March 24, the school gave a workshop teaser at their campus on Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue in Makati by hosting a free session with kids aged three to twelve years old in attendance.

Three activities were lined up for the kids to try: Fashion Sketching, Accessory Making and Skirt Making.

Held at SoFA’s Illustration Room, the Fashion Sketching activity allowed the girls to scribble and color their creations on the sketch pads provided. This gave them a feel of being mini fashion designers, wherein the first step is always to conceptualize a design.

The Accessory Making room was the next stop for the little fashionistas. Here, polymer was used to make accessories as the children made bracelets, necklaces and earrings that delighted the participants.

Make-your-own-skirt was the culminating activity of the day. The girls were taught by SoFA teachers and students step by step on how to make a simple skirt. This was done at the Pattern Making Room, and the kids were able to learn concepts like measurements and patterns and were even introduced to the sewing machine. The participants watched intently as the machine turned their fabrics into skirts.

Lorin Gutierrez Bektas, daughter of actress-host Ruffa Gutierrez, was one of the participants. Lorin said, “it is so much fun. I wanna make clothes and accessories for my sister, mommy and lola to wear.” Lorin immediately showed Ruffa her work and the proud mom was quick to tweet about it.

TV host Daphne Oseña-Paez had her three daughters, Sophia, Lily and Stella, join the workshop. “My three kids had fun at SoFA’s Kiddie Fashion Workshop. Only Sophia, 9, and Lily, 5, were officially registered. But my two-year-old couldn't resist doing some art activities like coloring and sketching. The highlight was skirt making. It was fun seeing the two girls create and embellish their skirt from scratch. The environment was conducive to being creative. Very comfortable area for parents waiting while the kids did their activities,” she said.

“In keeping with SoFA’s vision of continually encouraging young and talented individuals to pursue their passion, we thought the best way to begin is with the young,” Amina said, “because when we are young that’s when our interests are most raw. Here in SoFA, we hope to use the avenue of play for children to discover their inner fashionista.

"Any parent would like to nurture the innate talents and interests of their child. When you spot a child's inclination towards a certain field I believe in allowing them to explore it through various programs and activities. This way you will be able to see if it is a short-lived interest or if it can develop into a lifelong passion. I believe one of the best gifts a parent can give her child is the exposure to various fields and the freedom to choose and develop their passions. This can eventually lead the way towards a fulfilling life and career in their adult years," Amina added, speaking as a mother.

The SoFA summer workshops for kids and toddlers scheduled this April 10 to May 22 have various activities to get these young children busy this summer.

In 12 sessions, the kids will be taught Bag Making, Denim Embellishing, T-shirt Deconstruction, Headdress Making, Slipper Embellishing, Silkscreen Painting and much more designed to make the participants swim in fashion, style and art.

Having the sessions in the SoFA campus also allows the kids to have a feel of a real fashion environment as the school is frequented not just by its students but also by industry practitioners. –KG, GMA News

For more information visit www.sofamanila.com or call (632) 478- 4622.