Erstellt am: 1. 4. 2011 - 16:11 Uhr

My Reality, Saturday (12-13)

Fashion School, a very peculiar "Summer of Love" in the United States and finally the launch of the first collection: Welcome to the world of Mark Stephen Baigent.

Born in the year of the horse should actually mean that my life is quiet and planned into the last detail.At first it really was just like that.At the age of 12 I knew that I wanted to work as a fashion designer. Go to fashion school then college or university of applied arts.
But who knows anyone whose life worked out just the way THEY planned it. No, my creator had way better plans for me!

Mark Stephen Baigent

Going to school was hard. A big challenge and all in all sheer horror. Secondary school was probably the worst. Me and my family had just moved to Wels. For me, moving into the city while loving nature so much and until then never experiencing the pains of life was a bit to much. My school had a focus on "creative design and media", you would say „WOW sounds great for a kid“ and I am sure that at some point (probably in the 1950s) that school was doing mighty fine. Not now though, the teachers all turned bitter and crazy. Hated everyone who was a bit to different and had the guts to speak up = me.

As protection I developed a shield of arrogance and hate towards classmates/teachers – you name it.
Thats what got me through school.
Now I thought that attending fashion school would change everything! More focus on what I wanted to do. No more boring classes etc. Naive, i would say now ;)

In the third year I quit fashion school. I quit due to the fact that in a town like Linz and a school like that creative people with their own opinion are not able to flourish in any kind of way.

I had such a hard time coping with other subjects than fashion or that had to do with the fashion industrie. I was going to a fashionschool and we had only three hours of creative Design per week?! Hello?

Mark Stephen Baigent

The Summer of 2007 changed my Life

A friend of mine who i met at a festival in Germany called „Freakstock“ invited me to come to Nashville where she lives with her family. I was so exhausted at the end oft he third year that I descided to fly over to the States for six weeks. Alone. I wanted to find my joy and the real me again.
When I arrived I was told that the girls went on tour with a band and wouldnt be back home until 3 months after I left back home.
I was very dissapointed but descided to make the best out of it. I called some other friends that I had met at the „Freakstock“ festival. And so my journey through 12 States begann.
I flew from Nashville to Kansas city and from there we travelled with a mobile cafe from festival to festival. I loved it! I met such amazing people and lifetime friends of this trip. I was taught a very important lesson during that time. Ist all about LOVE! Love each other! Love your self! And love your neighbor! This world needs more love in it. That was my „Summer of Love“.

Back in Austria I moved to Vienna. My parents where shocked but they supported me in every desicion.
I started working in a american retail shop on the Mariahilferstrasse. It was hard at first but i had a great team.

During that time I also started working as a styling assistant for PENG! Magazine. I really enjoyed that. I worked there for 1,5 years but sadly had to quit due to financial reasons. Through PENG! Magazine I was able to travel to Paris for fashion week a few times. Which was great but also showed me that i liked my life just as it was.

When I stopped working, I needed a job. I didn´t want to go back to retail and I thought I didnt need to because of my reputation so far.

I sent out some e-mails to friends telling them that i was looking for work. Since the beginning of 2011 I work as a press agent.

Mark Stephen Baigent

During my time in school i got to know Julia. My soulmate and best friend. We decided to start our own fashionlabel.
We are about to launch our first collection for autumn-winter 11/12 on the 9th of April at CROM. Find out more on www.markandjulia.com.

Mark Stephen Baigent#