9 Looks From SCAD's Runway Show 2017
Last weekend, 128 looks took to a runway splitting through the tranquil courtyard of the SCAD Museum of Art in Savannah, Georgia. The occasion? The Savannah College of Art and Design's annual fashion show, which features the creations of select students from the university's campuses in Savannah, Atlanta and Hong Kong. Chosen for inclusion through a rigorous judging process, each student is allowed to send up to three looks down the runway.
This year's event ended with a bang when a Rolls Royce convertible snailed its way down the catwalk, complete with two models in wispy chiffon bridal dresses perched atop its backseats; a fitting ending for an equally exciting show. Miss J. Alexander of America's Next Top Model was in attendance and watched as ensembles varying from the totally wearable to the totally frame-able passed by in a colorful precession. From re-worked denim and beach-ready resort wear to red carpet gowns and brilliantly creative streetwear, the spectacle encompassed all areas of the fashion sphere — and then some. Students from various specialties and majors collaborated to create otherworldly accessories and textiles (collaboration is is a natural part of the design process at SCAD) and there was no shortage of gutsy silhouettes and cuts that we think would look exceptionally cool on Rihanna. The students took a no-rules approach to their creations and it paid off.
We spoke with 9 of the designers to gain a bit more insight into the inspirations and techniques behind their collections. Click ahead to see their best looks.
Courtesy of SCAD1/10Estefania Alvarez, 24
“My senior collection 'MAHARANI,' which refers to the female ruler or queen in India, aims to focus on the lavish and delicate nature of Indian women, who represent harmony among chaos. 'MAHARANI' empowers women by adopting design elements from Indian wardrobes, jewelry and royal architecture, as well as different Indian textile manipulations that I implemented into my design process.
To create the collection, I decided to team up with three different artists: Bailey Barret and Kadi Flory, who are B.F.A students in Fibers, and Lucia Marti, a B.F.A student in Jewelry. Bailey dedicated her talent to create the prints for my collection through foiling and screen-printing techniques. Kadi used different beading methods to embellish my garments. Lucia blended her jewelry and accessory design skills to create two unique clutches made from silver and nickel for my collection.”
Courtesy of SCAD2/10LaMara Griggs, 24
“My senior collection was inspired by the African artist El Anataui. He is known for using recyclable items like bottle caps to create massive sculptures. I translated his artwork into a custom print and utilized acrylic laser-cut shapes to express his work technique. I translated my print onto synthetic fabrics like neoprene and the acrylic shapes were pieced together with plastic rings.”
Courtesy of SCAD3/10Charles Ams, 22
“My collection is inspired by a theory behind a warfare that existed on planet Mars leaving citizens with limited resources. The fabrics chosen are intended to protect and shield the wearer and include leather, selvedge denim, linen, and cotton. I hand painted the garments with acrylic paints, varnishes and waxes for added strength and stiffness, and used staples and scar stitching on the seams to break traditional sewing practices. I also used heavy-duty metal zippers and metal trims to accent the darkly-colored clothing, which I sanded down for a grungy effect.”
Courtesy of SCAD4/10Lottie Bertello, 23
“'Sobre Hielo' is an autumn/winter ‘18 ready-to-wear collection inspired by a series of road trips through the Canadian Rocky Mountains during the winter time. It explores how perspective is heavily influenced by the state of one’s mind. Exhaustion, vibrancy and fatigue are all very real yet contradictory emotions that were triggered by the various stages of the trip. 'Sobre Hielo' also dissects the feeling of seeing snow for the very first time, which completely altered a previously familiar environment.
Even though the collection is mostly comprised of ready-to-wear pieces, I employed several eveningwear construction techniques in order to get such voluminous shapes. Through an incredibly successful collaboration with Accessory Design student Jose Criales and Fibers graduate Juliana Vargas, we developed knitwear, implemented embroidery techniques and utilized up-cycled fur to create an oversized hat. All the pieces in the collection are meant to be mixed and matched with each other, allowing the customer to style them in a way that fits their personal aesthetic.”
Courtesy of SCAD5/10Jasmine Lam, 23
“’Don't Look’ is a circus-inspired unisex collection that has a dark and quirky feel to it with touches of Chinese aesthetics. The idea was to create something that is beautiful and terrifying at the same time and shows the viewer that whether something looks good to them or not is dependent upon perspective. There are a lot of textures and volume in the garments throughout the collection, thanks to the use of box pleats and ruffles and the technique of applying laminated film bonded onto surfaces of the printed fabric.”
Courtesy of SCAD6/10Emily Okafor, 24
“My goal for the collection was to find a way to make inner beauty visible to the outside viewer. I was really inspired by sculptural artist Paige Bradley's Expansion series and wanted to base my design concept on her work. I wanted to mimic cracks similar to those seen when the shell of an egg is broken. One way I did that was to needle-punch merino wool roving onto neoprene and Italian spacer mesh to create a visual cracking effect. I also placed strips of wool roving in random areas in order for it to look more organic. I wanted to add an additional element to the collection so I incorporated fringe. This fringe was hand-dyed half way down each string and wool roving was then needle punched on top of that in order to create a seamless transition.”
Courtesy of SCAD7/10Abi Lieberheimer, 22
“My collection was inspired by Hong Kong and Hangzhou, China, where I was born. It is called ‘Thrive’ and is meant to inspire success in all people no matter the current circumstances they are in. The collection is a blend of American luxury and sport with an Asian influence, as I was adopted from China when I was 9 months old and grew up in Colorado. I used heat-sealing tape and heat-sealing techniques on silks and other woven materials.”
Courtesy of SCAD8/10Claire Pavlosky, 21
“My collection was inspired by the construction standards of the denim industry. I started this process by taking apart recycled denim jackets and rearranging the pattern pieces into new silhouettes. I wanted to bring the beauty from within the seams outward, up-cycling existing pieces for a completely new look. I made this collection to be worn as mix-and-match-able separates. The collection is street-wear inspired and can be styled for work or [hanging out] with the girls. The children's clothes are more for everyday wear. I was careful to choose fabrics that were durable and can withstand a daily routine.”
Courtesy of SCAD9/10Arielle Arnold, 22
“My collection is about the recent passing of my father and my interpretation of the pain he experienced in his passing, while also channeling my immeasurable pain in losing him. The collection itself is named after my father's favorite song, ‘In the Still of the Night,’ a song he yearned to have played at his funeral. Unfortunately, that didn't happen, so this is my way of giving that to him. This is my way of making beauty out of all of the pain experienced."
"Death is not a light subject and in creating my collection I steered away from using anything "light." All fabric used was not breathable; it was heavy and cumbersome. I created oversized and uncomfortable silhouettes, with small details of heavy beading using Swarovski crystals. The fabric was cut and slashed with a box cutter, distressed with power tools and painted with house paint; the crude processes were imperative in creating a visual disturbance for the viewer. My collaborator, Aoife Estes, helped in creating the textural elements in my collection with portraits of my father pieced together with various yarns and different embroidered patches, while Tayler Ayers assisted in attacking the pieces with aggressive brush strokes depicting the words of my father from his last moments of clarity.”
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