Design Studio is the fourth semester class of the Fashion Design AS program. In a normal year, students spend classtime, nights, and weekends on a capsule collection of garments that bring together learned skills in apparel design, pattern making and garment construction. Their garments and portfolios would be shown in a celebratory evening Fashion Exhibition in early May.
With our sudden change to the virtual college experience this spring, the students had to deal with the loss of working in the sewing studio with the professional equipment and materials. Even harder perhaps was the loss of daily support and comradery of faculty and fellow students; our fashion family. This change did effect and alter their designs and methods according to what equipment they had available at home.
We are so proud of how they adapted to this unexpected shift and didn't let the situation dampen their creativity.
Enjoy this Virtual Fashion Exhibition of this talented group of students!
Kristin Flynn,
Fashion Program Coordinator
View slideshows:
Celeste Atkins
The line of clothing I have created has been a fun and stress free escape from the stressful situation our Covid19 our world is in. The garments I’ve created are designed for a summertime escape and would be perfect for a day or night out in New York City. It’s nice to be reminded that fashion is still a constant, even in trying times like these. I have really loved creating these outfits and fishing sparks of creativity out of these scary and uncertain times. As a designer I strive to be sustainable while maintaining creative freedom, so I used only the scraps of fabric and repurposed patterns I already had around my home to create this unique collection of garments.
For my collection, I wanted to explore the nostalgia of the 2000’s. In depressing times like these I feel like it’s better to reminisce about the good times, instead of dwelling on the unforeseen future. For my colors, I chose ones that make me happy and were popular in the 2000’s. For the overall look, I wanted to really capture the feelings of the 2000’s and nostalgia of the past. This is what my collection represents.
Since I can remember, Audrey Hepburn has been a role model to me and has helped me create my own fashion style that makes me feel my best. Fashion describes us and creates a presentation of what makes us feel our best and how we want to present ourselves to the world. My vision is to empower women and inspire them to learn to love and accept themselves. I have personally struggled with this, but this collection has helped me rediscover my passion of creation and confident self expression. Through my designs, I want to share my passion with other women and help them find their Elegant Confidence.
Growing up, I loved history. I was always fascinated with how people lived in ancient times. To me, Society and environments inspire our ancient ancestors to live the way they do. Nations came and gone like the wind. From the shores of Rome to the sands of Tanzania, these cultures can be recognized by their garments. In my collection, I wanted to represent past cultures in today's garments as we might be represented in the future.
My inspiration is my surroundings and shape shifting visions. What I do is purely in the moment and altered when it passes through my mind and becomes eccentric. When I am working through my designs, I often don't know what my next move will be. I even work in reverse sometimes; I go with the flow. My latest creations are a product of that eccentricity, heavily inspired by geometry and Gaia.
Fashion has been a love of mine since I was a kid, drawing designs in my sketchbook. That love has only grown with me. Discovering that I was non-binary, has allowed me to explore the endless, genderless possibilities of fashion. Using predominantly vintage and upcycled materials, I design and create looks not only as a form of self-expression, but also to inspire others to wear clothes that make them feel most like themselves, while minimizing waste and rejecting gendered fashion.
It was very hard transitioning to completing/restarting my final collection from home. I was told “do what you can, with what you have.” I didn’t have a sewing machine so I looked through my closet for things I could upcycle. I found a beautiful puffer sleeved blouse(knit+woven) and a pink cropped t-shirt(knit). I looked for supplies at home and found fabric paint, embroidery thread and beads. So, I tried to rely on my strong suites. That being my drawing and painting skills. Now I think about the phrase “do what you can, with what you have” a lot. I think about how you can always apply that to yourself in life. I was constantly comparing my project to my classmates, despite the fact that we clearly don’t have the same ideas, resources, and fortes. “...what you have” does not mean just physical objects and resources; it is also what tools you have in your mind.
Thank you Fashion, for turning just a 14 year old kid into his own person. I wanted to be like everyone else, I wanted to fit in. But nothing I did helped me fit it. I thought it was my clothes so I changed. Thank you Fashion for helping me create my sense of style. As I was altering my clothes as a 10th grade kid I started to look at social media to see how my favorite artists dressed. This peak of interest from there turned into a passion. Thank you fashion, for helping me look good and feel good. I want to spread this feeling of happiness through my clothes to everyone. Thank you.
Growing up in a small rural town in Missouri, I always knew my dreams would take me far from home. As a child my favorite activities were playing barbies and dress-up. I absolutely adored going through my mother’s closet, pairing her heels that I could hardly walk in, with her array of dresses that didn’t fit me. My mother took up sewing as a hobby while I was in elementary school teaching me a lot of the basics and from there I began to make my own doll clothes and furniture. I have carried this love of fashion with me while breaking society's rules in terms of what is modest and expected. I do this specifically in the prints I choose to pair combined with fitted silhouettes. My inspiration stems from the beauty of nature and the 1940’s era of pin-up.
Pivoine Pin-up is a collection designed to make the wearer feel fearless, spunky and sensual.
I grew up with the fashion world around me. My mother has worked in retail for 30 years. She would bring me into work with her and give me small tasks like letting me dress a half mannequin or folding the shirts and sweaters to complete a display. I love fashion because clothing has a silent power and language to it and I want to help others convey that power, emotion, and language with their clothes. I also love fashion because it is not just clothing, it is art and it is science, a combination of my two loves in one unique way.