Jaime Lee sews seeds as mentor

From *Lady Gaga *to *Katy Perry *, *Shakira *and *Rita Ora *, *Jaime Lee Major *'s client list reads like a who's who of the international music industry.

Since graduating from *Central Institute *'s fashion and textiles course in 2008, the young designer has already achieved more than most of her industry colleagues could ever dream of.

While she spends the majority of her time working with a small sewing and beading team in Bali creating demi-couture gowns for the rich and famous, the 27-year-old is back in *WA * this week to lend her support and expertise to the *City of Joondalup *'s Urban Couture fashion festival.

Major, who is the Urban Couture ambassador for 2015, told _AAA _ she was excited to be part of a program that nurtured emerging designers and hoped to offer valuable advice to people starting out in the highly competitive fashion industry.

"I think people can relate to me because I started as a student," she said.

"I have a lot of young women writing to me, I guess because I'm the same as them - I've done this without capital and I just sort of made it up as I went along.

"Every path is different and I've made so many mistakes but they've all led me to something else."

The *Fremantle *creative attributes much of her international success to collaborations with Kiwi pop star *Kimbra *, who she dressed for the 2011 ARIA Awards, the 2013 Grammy Awards and, most recently, the singer's high- energy video clip for Miracle, which was shot in New York.

"I've had the opportunity to be involved in Kimbra's journey and do really cool things that way," Major revealed.

"The Grammys was a highlight. I'm competing with people like Valentino for red- carpet opportunities so it was cool she asked me to do her gown. That was the start of a lot of red carpet for me."

But just because she's dressing big stars doesn't necessarily mean Major is making money.

"People assume if you're dressing celebrities that you must be making a lot of money but celebrities don't pay for clothes," she explained.

"But it does in turn eventually result in sales because I will get a dress order out of it."

EMMA BERGMEIER-VARIAN

'I've done

this without capital

and I just sort of made it up as I went along. Every path is different and I've made so many mistakes but they've all led me to something else.'