I’m in my third year at Whitehouse Institute of Fashion, based in the city. I live with my mum in Templestowe. It’s not that far from the city, I can get to Hoddle Street in seven minutes. It was a really good place to grow up.

On November 16 I will fly to Sydney to present my winning design to fashion designer Alex Perry. It’s an extension of my final collection for school. It’s an elegantly understated 1950s silhouette, floor-length gown design with a muted colour palette. I’ve used triple organza and French beaded lace.

I draw a lot of inspiration from the past. My favourite designers are Thierry Mugler and Christian Dior. I love vintage Balenciaga, and I love costume designer Edith Head, who is from the 1950s.

I graduated from Doncaster Secondary College and completed a VET certificate in production and design. I showed an interest in fashion from the age of six. My mum has lots of embarrassing stories, but I won’t tell you about them.

I’ve always been creative. I sang in the Youth Australian Broadway Chorus for 10 years and doors were starting to open for me in the performance world. I had to take a step back in year 10 and decide that I wanted to pursue fashion. Although I do have passion for that, I love fashion more.

At the moment, I’m trying to get my final collection together. My collection is based on film and fashion as seen in French New Wave cinema from the 1960s. I’ve watched a lot of Jean-Luc Godard films and I like La Dolce Vita, which isn’t so much New Wave cinema, but is inspiring. I take a 1950s silhouette and borrow from the historical influence of the baroque period. The third common element of my design is inspired by the island of Lefkas, which is where my mother is from. It’s an island wedged between Greece and Italy. It has a lot of Venetian influences. The island’s traditional costume is also an influence.