Year 9 Students Redesign Denim with Purpose
There is something powerful about turning the ordinary into the extraordinary and that is exactly what our Year 9 Design students have done this term.
Inspired by the captivating work of Australian street artist Kyle Hughes-Odgers, students were challenged to take a denim jacket and breathe new life into it. With brushes, permaset paint and a whole lot of imagination, they have created wearable artworks that tell bold, personal stories while raising questions about fashion and self-expression.
From Street Walls to Sleeves
Kyle Hughes-Odgers is a Perth-based artist known for his “narrative-driven, character-based folk art”. Kyle’s style blends melancholy with lightness, using creatures, shapes and colours to explore memory, nostalgia and the human experience. His murals have graced cities from New York to Madrid, and this term, his ideas landed in our very own design classroom.
Our students explored Hughes-Odgers’ visual language, experimenting with abstract shapes, colour palettes and storytelling through design. But the brief did not stop at style.
Design With a Message
The girls worked under the class theme of “Street Smarts”, applying design thinking to a real-world garment, the humble denim jacket. Beyond aesthetics, they considered:
- Ethical production – recognising the impact of fast fashion
- Functionality and form – creating something that is both beautiful and wearable
Each jacket became a mini design case study, balancing creativity with ethical decision-making. They investigated material properties, defined a target audience, and evaluated design solutions, all while managing time, testing techniques and solving practical challenges.
A Celebration of Creativity
What is most impressive is how each jacket reflects a unique voice. Some are bold and bright, others moody and mysterious, but all demonstrate the creativity, critical thinking and growing confidence of our Year 9 students.
Beyond Painting
Projects like this one go far beyond painting. They invite students to think like designers and to solve problems creatively. It is hands-on, future-focused learning, and it is preparing our students not just to create, but to think, question and lead.
We cannot wait to see where their creativity takes them next.
- DenimJacketDesign, EthicalFashionProject, Featured, KyleHughes-Odgers, SantaMariaCollege, StudentLearning, VisualArtsProgram, WearableArt, Year9Design
Author: Santa Maria College
Santa Maria College is a vibrant girls school with a growing local presence and reputation. Our Mission is to educate young Mercy women who act with courage and compassion to enrich our world. Santa Maria College is located in Attadale in Western Australia, 16 km from the Perth CBD. We offer a Catholic education for girls in Years 5 – 12 and have 1300 students, including 152 boarders.
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