Nashmin 
Can you introduce your brand and yourself in a few sentences?
My name is Aubrey Chayson and my brand, Aubrey Chayson The Label, is made with 100% silk and 100% ethical labour. The ethos behind the clothes are unapologetically feminine; I champion conscious consumerism and sustainability.
What sparked your interest in fashion design?
I have always loved dressing up as a child, especially for Halloween. Life is too short to not wear ball gowns everyday.
Can you describe your creative process?
I envision a friend and their think about how I could emphasize their unique shape and charms. Like cooking, clothes always turn out better when you make them with love.
What is your favourite part of being a designer? What drives you to design?
I love being in control and having my creative dreams taken seriously. I need to design because I need to stop human slavery and save the environment.
How do you find working as a designer where your brand is based? Has the culture/surroundings affected your design aesthetic? Do you feel connected to your home?
I am currently an undergraduate law student in Australia and I find that having studies grounds me and allows me to pursue creative work with more passion and vigour. I have all my friends model and dance for me for charity balls that I organize from scratch—and there is nothing more rewarding. I am both Australian and South Korean, being born and raised in Sydney has gifted me with a creative mind and a laid back attitude—while being Korean has gifted me with being innovative and hard working. I feel deeply connected to my favourite people rather than my home. From moving around a lot growing up, I learnt not to grow attachment to places or things too much.
In anticipation of your runway show at Vancouver Fashion Week, what are you most looking forward to?
I am most looking forward to having a platform to speak up about ethical labour and our need to stop plastics in fashion. Oh and I’m definitely super excited to see all my models dance!
What is the inspiration behind your S/S20 collection to be showcased at Vancouver Fashion Week?
My collection is ‘Unapologetically Feminine’ and it reflects my new found confidence in embracing my femininity growing up. I have found it difficult to be embrace being powerful and sensual and creative and smart—and now I feel I have grown up a little bit more. I am proud to be strong and feminine and I hope to gift my fellow women with clothes that can make them feel empowered, confident and beautiful.
What are you hoping are the reactions from audiences seeing your designs (perhaps for their first time)?
I hope the audience is entertained; I hope their eyes and hearts are satisfied. I hope the audience feels empowered and proud to be a woman. I hope they feel inspired to be more confident and bold. I also hope they think about the power they have as consumers and realize that they can decide to purchase natural fabrics from ethical labour sources. I hope I spark a flame of care in their hearts for the people who make our clothes and the impact our choices have on our home (the environment).
Thank you for speaking with us, Aubrey! We look forward to seeing your brand on the VFW runway.
Photos by Emma Corrigan (Film Direction, @emma.corrigan) and Dan Abro (Director of Photography, @oppidanvisuals).
