Daring. Dreamy. Dangerous. Dominate. Distortion. “These students will alter the ideas we have about fashion,” Robyne Robinson, the MC for the event, stated. On Saturday February 20th, eighteen Seniors participated in the Distortion: Senior Fashion Show at the University of Minnesota and did just that. The night started off with a sophomore exhibition which gave the audience a sneak peak of what to expect from that class in two years. The Junior class followed with a preview of what their senior fashion show will look like. After teasing the audience with these fashions, it was time to begin the main event. Out of eighteen, three designers inspired me and really took my breath away.
Nature as Design
The first designer to catch my attention, Carol Lee, was inspired by modern architecture and everyday life experiences. Attention to detail and well crafted pieces stood out from the rest of the pack. In one of her outfits, Lee had a military green jumper that she juxtaposed with a powder blue and white striped fabric on the cropped halter top. The oversized accessories did not overpower the silhouette of the garment. In another piece, Lee took an a-line, strapless mini-dress and layered it with pieces of plastic to create a spider web design on the front of the dress and down the arm. This attention to detail definitely sets Lee apart from the other designers.
Fashion is a Battlefield
Feminine power was a dominating theme in the designs from Niki English. Her futuristic designs gave the feel of a cross between a warrior battlefield and a matrix. English focused on proportion to create drama in her designs. One dress featured a structured collar accented with black studs that resembled reptilian armor. A plunging back gave the otherwise warrior inspired dress sex appeal. A balance of texture, structure, and femininity would give any woman a sense of power while wearing one of these pieces. English’s designs would not only dominate on the runway, they would turn heads on any given city street.
Born this Way
Lady Gaga, meet your new designer, Autumn Kirchman. Kirchman, a self-proclaimed free-thinking, revolutionary designer, makes fashions that are daring and push boundaries. The creativity in her designs comes from music, literature, surrealist art, and pop culture. One design Lady Gaga would jump into was a Little White Dress. Tiered ruffles created a bell shaped skirt while the top is more simplistic until you look at the mini cape the model was wearing. A feather and lace capelet paired with a feather and lace hat and mask combination brought a dramatic flair to an otherwise simply classic dress. One ready-to-wear outfit included a pleated skirt and structured black leather jacket. Accentuated with a lace collar, this outfit reminisces on the flirtiness of Marilyn Monroe and the roughness of a biker babe. Look for her dramatic designs on a Grammy or Oscar Awards red carpet one day soon.
The Next Wave
From the feathers to leather, fur, and plastic, these designers are ready to dive into the fashion world. Each designers interpretation of the fashion world will help propel them to the next level. I look forward to seeing to what these designers and the University of Minnesota’s College of Design School will have to offer in the coming years. The Senior class left some big shoes to fill, and from the looks of it, the sophomores and juniors will give them a run for their money. There was a definite distortion of fashion. A nice mix of daring, dreamy, dangerous, and dominate designs.
No comments:
Post a Comment