CAFA TEACHERS
GAYLENE MCCAW
Gaylene is the Founder and Director of CAFA and takes a hands-on role teaching across all subjects areas. Gaylene studied fashion at the Paris American Academy and has a law degree and accountancy qualification. She is uniquely positioned to teach both the creative and business aspects of fashion. Gaylene has extensive experience in fashion design, garment construction, fashion retailing and strategic business management. Her special interests are couture sewing and draping.
DEBORAH STAPLES
Debbie has 10 years’ industry experience. She started in retail as a fashion store manager, and then trained in bespoke fashion design. She has worked as a pattern designer, finisher and grader, Having managed workrooms for start-up designers, she has an extensive knowledge of the business requirements for small enterprises. Debbie specialises in tailoring and is an expert at prototyping and sampling garments.
MARY BROWN
Mary is an accredited tutor and judge for the Embroiderers’ Guild of NSW and she lectured in Fashion & Textiles at the University of Technology, Sydney from 2007-2017. As well designing, making, teaching and researching, Mary curates artist embroiderers exhibitions. Mary’s work is exquisite and her teaching inspired.
ANTONIA LUPTON
Passionate about sewing from a young age, Antonia has sew her own clothes since she was a teenager. Her first label was a children's clothing line called "Cool Magool". Antonia has a Bachelor of Visual Communication and has worked as a graphic designer, as well as a Diploma of Fashion Design and Garment Construction. Antonia manages her current label, Tailormade by Toni and has exquisite fine sewing and dressmaking skills.
ASHLEIGH KOK
Ashleigh is currently completing her Graduate Diploma of Fashion Design & Garment Construction, specialising in tailoring. She has her own label - Sook Australia - selling everything from laptop sleeves to facemarks and French jackets. She has experience in prototyping and freelance design and has built up a following with our younger students and lovers of avant garde style.
MEREDITH PATERSON
Placing in the Top 10 for her HSC Textiles & Design major work. Starting out studying a Bachelor of Science, Meredith followed her heart and has undertaken a Diploma of Fashion Design. With experience in wedding dress design and construction, Meredith now works for a luxury brand, as well working on a couture embroidery exhibition. She’s known for her exquisite couture hand sewing techniques and especially enjoys mentoring our HSC students.
JOSHUA TON | TAILORING CONSULTANT
Joshua currently exports high-end tailored apparel to Asia (he was previously at Bespoke Bijan, a renowned Savile row bespoke tailoring atelier in Sydney). Josh’s passion for his vocation brought him to teaching to promote this wonderful craft to a wider audience. Joshua cuts, makes and fits suits for individual clients using traditional hand tailoring techniques.