World-renowned Gympie designer hosting a ‘lounge bar lecture’ this month

Having styled the likes of Lady Gaga and Jaguar Jonze over her illustrious career, Ms Vogels will shed light on what it takes to dress rock stars and design clothes for leading fashion houses at the event in Gympie later this month.

Jenni Morton from Brisbane and Cindy Vogels from Gympie at Brisbane Powerhouse for Catherine Martin presentation, Wednesday, June 23, 2021 - Picture: Richard Walker

Internationally-renowned Gympie designer and costumier Cindy Vogels will team up with USC Design Lecturer Deborah Fisher to discuss their experiences in the global fashion industry at a “lounge bar lecture” in the Gold City this month.

Having styled the likes of Lady Gaga and Jaguar Jonze over her illustrious career, Ms Vogels will shed light on what it takes to dress rock stars and design clothes for leading fashion houses in the lecture hosted by SoMa SoMa cafe from 6pm on July 22 (Thursday).

The free lecture forms part of a series orchestrated by USC “to allow people to raise their glass to local research while hearing from university researchers and teaching academics who are experts in their field”.

Lady Gaga walks the red carpet at the 25th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP)

Ms Fisher’s international fashion career has included designing seasonal collections for major American retailers, such as Bloomingdales and Macy’s.

Ms Fisher, also a lecturer in Fashion Studies at USC, received the Women in Fashion award for Outstanding Educator or Mentor in the industry last year.

Ms Vogels is the founder of fashion label Racy & Lucky and prides herself on creating “one-off, obscure and beautiful garments” for music artists.

Her costumery has been worn by Lady Gaga and other stars and has been featured on screens, stages and red carpets across the world, including during London Fashion Week and the ARIAs.

Ms Fisher said the two women shared similar backgrounds.

“Cindy grew up in Nambour while I grew up in Caboolture and we both left Australia to pursue our design aspirations before returning to continue working here,” Ms Fisher said.

USC Design Lecturer Deborah Fisher and music industry costumier Cindy Vogels will discuss their experiences in the international fashion industry at the informal public event themed, 'A Fashionable Conversation' in Gympie this month.

“When I first wanted to take my fashion career to a new level, there was no Australian university offering a degree in fashion, so I applied to the Pratt Institute in New York and the world opened up to me.

“I remember the day First Lady Nancy Reagan walked into the studio at Liz Claiborne for her fittings and I thought to myself, you are not in Caboolture anymore, you are on Seventh Avenue in the heart of the garment centre.

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“One of the themes we will discuss at the lounge bar lecture will be how Cindy and I continue to work and collaborate with our international colleagues, but from regional areas of Queensland.”

To attend register for the Gympie Lounge Bar Series online at eventbrite.

Originally published as World-renowned Gympie designer hosting a ‘lounge bar lecture’ this month