Vania making Waves in the World of Fashion

Student successfully melding fashion, business skills

Otago Daily Times

YOU would think balancing homework with an international clothing business would be a bit too much stress for the average teenager to handle. But for Vania Wong, it is quite the opposite.

"Some people, they calm down by playing video games, but for me I calm down by selling clothes".

"It’s kind of like a soothing hobby for me".

The 16-year-old Trinity Catholic College student has a whole bedroom dedicated to her business, Around the World. She sold the clothing — some of which was imported secondhand and some she upcycled herself — at market stalls, on eBay and Trade Me and by trading directly with other businesses. Vania said she had always loved design and history, which led to a love for traditional clothing from different cultures and an interest in fashion. Despite selling to the United States, Poland, Japan and "basically all of New Zealand", she had only told a few friends about her entrepreneurial endeavours, she said.

"I don’t really like telling people about it. They make a big fuss."

Vania said she made anything from "elegant to cute to creepy to goth". She was really good at making "cute cosplay dresses" which included lots of colour and took inspiration from Japanese subculture, but also liked making sleek and modern dresses with "a bit of weird touch", such as discarded op-shop fabric, buttons, pins and lace. Her favourite dress took her about a month to create — the longest time she had spent on any garment.

Meanwhile, her second-hand stock included a lot of vintage clothing, traditional Japanese kimonos, sought-after collectors’ items "and a lot of handbags". While she was still quite busy with her schoolwork, Vania said she spent "any time [she could] get" on making clothes.

Although people had suggested she pursue a career in fashion, Vania said she preferred to do it as a hobby. But she hoped to one day travel around the world and sell her clothing at markets in other countries.

tim.scott@odt.co.nz

(Thank you to the ODT for kindly allowing us to re-print this article)