Cruise Theme For Parade

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32235, 2 March 1970, Page 2

Cruise Theme For Parade

Cruise —just one word and the fashion co-ordinator, Mrs Diane Learning, had her idea for the fashion parade to be held in the Australian pavilion at the Easter Show at Auckland.

“I was visiting a manufacturer just after 1 had been assigned the job and he mentioned he wanted to show a cruise jacket. Suddenly I realised that this could be my theme or story,” said Mrs Learning, who lives at Papakura. She now has to co-ordinate colours and styles and choose models. “For a parade such as this, where a story is being related, I like my models to have vibrant personalities and the ability to convey the scene they are placed in, such as games on the deck of a ship.” NO SCRIPT Music will accompany the parade and Mrs Learning will compere it without a script. Styles shown will range from extra casual for deck wear to formal for dining at the

captain’s table. Forty garments will be shown by five models in eight separate scenes and the clothes will all be available in Auckland stores.

Once she has received the materials from the Australian fabric firms showing her what they want used, Mrs Learning then visits the New Zealand manufacturers. It is usually during these visits she obtains an idea for the theme of the parade. Mrs Learning’s three-year-old daughter, Nicola, has already done some photographic modelling and her, husband accepts it all readily. A charm school in her own; home, run twice a week, is another string to Mrs Learning’s bow. She also likes to cook and to sew casual clothes.

Simple uncluttered lines are her favourites, and coordinates which provide four or five different styles. She; plans her wardrobe and' tends to choose basic colours; and complement with acces-j series. Navy and white, and, black and white are two of: her favourite colour schemes.!

Mrs Learning has been modelling since she was 16 and was a full-time model for five years. Her interest in co-ordinating developed when she did work for local groups in Papakura. “Co-ordinating a fashion parade involves a lot more headaches than being a model, but the result is So satisfying when you see the idea that! you had presented as a finished parade,” she said. FIRST SUCCESS Her first major co-ordinat-ing job was the fashion I parade in the Australian i Pavilion at last year’s Easter Show, and it was a great success.