Graduating Bachelor of Creative Arts student and aspiring fashion designer Olivia Bevacqua recently had one of her creations modelled on stage by Juno Award-winning artist BBNO$.
The Vancouver-based rapper and singer wore a suit Bevacqua custom designed and created for him during the 10th stop on his It’s Pronounced Baby No Money World Tour at Toronto’s HISTORY on March 7.
“I made the suit and in return he gifted me VIP tickets to his Toronto show…I honestly did not think he was going to wear it at the show, but he did,” Bevacqua said of the suit, which she hand delivered to him before the concert and which was inspired her childhood experience of messily colouring in the map of Canada.
“He was extremely kind and even shouted me out during the show…It was such an amazing feeling. I still feel extremely grateful and overwhelmed.”
Bevacqua recently sat down to share how she came to create the suit, her experience collaborating with BBNO$ on the design, and what her plans are after graduating from Yorkville University.
Here’s what she had to say:
Can you walk us through the design process of creating this custom suit for BBNO$? What was the inspiration behind the look?
The inspiration for the suit was based on a shared Canadian experience of colouring in the map of Canada – the messy, brightly coloured maps that would be hung on the classroom walls. The construction was fairly normal. I modified some suit patterns to fit his measurements, and the map outline was hand-drawn and coloured. This was the first suit I had ever made. I usually work more in womenswear, so this was definitely a new experience, which had its ups and downs throughout the process. I am very lucky to have a lot of support from the people in my life.
How did you collaborate with BBNO$ to bring it to life, ensuring that the suit reflected his personality while still maintaining your own creative vision?
BBNO$ is someone who I’ve always seen wearing fun suits – such as the flame one or the ’90s road map carpet – and I was watching one of his TikTok videos one day, and the idea came to me, and I commented my idea on the post. I honestly didn’t even think he would see it. But he did! He told me to reach out to him privately, where I sent him some of my previous work and some sketches of what I was thinking for the suit. Along the way, we made some small design changes, but he really let me have creative freedom with it.
What was it like seeing your creation worn on stage by BBNO$ during the Toronto stop of his world tour? How did that moment feel for you, both personally and professionally?
It was such an amazing feeling. I still feel extremely grateful and overwhelmed. I remember being so afraid it wouldn’t fit right or he wouldn’t like it. He was extremely kind and seemed excited to have it, and the fit was perfect! It was so awesome seeing my work come to life on stage. It feels like a huge achievement, and maybe it will help me in the future with continuing to make custom apparel. I want to design for people and see it come to life and be worn and enjoyed. The feedback on social media has been overwhelmingly positive, I still can’t believe it.
As a current Bachelor of Creative Arts student, how have your studies influenced your approach to the fashion design business?
My main takeaway from studying at Yorkville University was the importance of project management. My previous school has taught me the physical skills and marketing skills that go alongside fashion design, an experience for which I am forever grateful, but Yorkville has taught me the steps to manage that design process to completion, as well as managing the business side of a brand.
In your journey as an aspiring fashion designer, what have been some of the biggest challenges and most rewarding moments so far?
I think that in this journey, the biggest challenge for me is getting burned out and losing confidence in myself. I am sure this is something every artist feels at some point, looking at the project and not feeling like it is good enough and getting frustrated and losing motivation because it is not exactly coming out as envisioned. And I think the suit is a good example of this. There are small imperfections that when working on super up-close, I was extremely unhappy with, but once on stage, were completely unseen. I had a similar experience with my runway show as part of FIDM; towards the end, I lost sight of the vision and wasn’t super confident. But once I saw the pieces on camera and walking down the runway, I felt proud of the work I had done. I think the important part is powering through and seeing something finished to the end, as sometimes, trusting the process is the most difficult part.
With your focus on fashion design, where do you see yourself going in the next few years? What are your future goals in the fashion industry, and how do you plan to continue building your brand?
I am hoping to be doing custom designs in the next few years. My absolute goal is to be custom-designing outfits for stage, runways, shows, etc. Or custom bridal gowns! I know, however, that it will likely take a few years and practice. My goal at the moment is to work in design for other fashion brands and build skills, as well as an understanding of the industry. However, since the start of this journey, I have been repeating to myself: “Shoot for the stars, I am bound to hit one of them.” Just a personal reminder that this journey isn’t linear, but will have its own way of working out as long as I keep working and trust the process.
Follow Bevacqua on Instagram or TikTok to learn more about her designs.
