For Rose Guiffre, fashion has always been a way to explore how things work.
A 2025 graduate of the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Fashion and Textiles Design (Honours) program, she combines a background in dance, environmental conservation, and a family history of designers and engineers to create work that sits between technology, craft, and the natural world.
Drawn to fashion through ballet costuming and inspired by learning to sew from her mum and Nonna, Rose knew early in high school that she wanted to study textiles and fashion. UTS quickly became her first choice.
"I was really attracted to the way the course balanced creative exploration with academic research," she says. "I think UTS really gets you to think critically about design and develop work that is grounded in research and ideas."
Her decision was reinforced by seeing the experience her sibling had studying Visual Communication at UTS.
Finding inspiration through the creative process
When asked about her most memorable experience at UTS, Rose points to the intense week leading up to the Honours graduate show.
"It was such an adrenaline rush to finish the looks, make last minute edits, and see everything come together," she says.
"There were a lot of late nights with friends, and I am so in awe of my cohort and their ideas, as well as work ethic."
The experience taught her the value of persistence and the importance of embracing every stage of a project.
"It inspired me to really see a project out to completion and fall in love with the process, which is so vital to keep creating work."
Creating Accretion: where nature, technology, and touch intersect
Rose's Honours collection, Accretion, explores a world shaped by accumulation rather than erasure.
"Accretion envisions a universe shaped by accumulation rather than erasure, where material builds, fuses, and evolves into new configurations," she explains.
Through texture, sound, and material experimentation, the collection examines relationships between human and nonhuman systems, reimagining the fashioned body as both physical and experiential, technological and alive.
The concept was inspired by diffusion limited aggregation, a code-based model that depicts the growth patterns of matter such as coral and snowflakes.
"I wanted to emulate the geometry of nature and the idea of expansion within my own work," she says.
With sponsorship from the Australian Wool Education Trust, Rose experimented with 3D printing techniques on various wool fabrications while continuing to develop her practice in hand embroidery. The resulting collection combines intricate handcraft, sculptural silhouettes, and emerging technologies.
Her work also draws on her personal experience with Raynaud's syndrome.
"I am interested in sensation and the language of touch," she says. "It has made me aware of my hands and of the body's shifting relationship to texture and feeling."
In many ways, the collection became both a confrontation and celebration of that awareness, expressed through labour-intensive techniques and detailed craftsmanship.
From graduate showcase to Australian Fashion Week
While Rose approached opportunities with what she describes as a "happy to be here" attitude, she never expected the response her work would receive after the graduate show.
"I definitely couldn't have predicted how receptive and supportive the audience at the graduate show, and after, was to my work and, more so, interested in my processes as well."
One of the biggest turning points came when she was invited to participate in Australian Fashion Week.
"The biggest growth point was being invited to participate in Australian Fashion Week and having such wonderful support from the UTS staff, but in quite a different dynamic," she says.
"They very much told me to trust myself instead of rely on feedback, which made me realise that I am out of school now and those support networks are still very much there, but operate differently."
Taking UTS fashion skills overseas
Since graduating, Rose has continued building her experience across different areas of the fashion industry. She spent six months working in bridal, where she was involved in pattern making, cutting, sewing, and detailing dresses.
"I enjoy that each day brings new challenges and requires some problem solving," she says. "It keeps you on your toes and also makes finishing a project so much more rewarding."
Her next step will take her overseas, where she will begin a traineeship with Hand & Lock in London.
"I am about to move abroad for a traineeship at Hand and Lock London and immerse myself in a new community and heritage techniques, which I am super excited for."
Why study Fashion and Textiles Design (Honours) at UTS?
Rose strongly recommends the course to future students, particularly those willing to embrace new opportunities and approaches.
"I think you get out of the course as much as you put in, so being receptive to new experiences and the different subjects is the most important part."
She also values the opportunities to collaborate and connect across disciplines at UTS.
"The other great thing is that it is still in a university context, so you get to interact and learn about other disciplines and find your niche."
During her final year, she spent significant time in the FEIT Protospace building, working alongside students from a wide range of fields.
"I got to learn about all different capstone projects and make friends with really interesting people that I otherwise wouldn't have crossed paths with."
For Rose, those experiences helped shape not only her creative practice, but also her understanding of the possibilities that emerge when fashion, technology, research, and craftsmanship come together.