ON THE TOWN
The RISD Spring Collection Show By: Yemi Sekoni Photos: Valencio Small
A
s you walked into Exhibition Rooms C & D at the Rhode Island Convention Center, the scope of the pending production hit you. Hailed as the largest one-night fashion production in NewEngland, the excitement in the room was already palpable. As we were led to our front row seats, which coincidentally happened to be right across from world renowned designer, Tommy Hilfiger, we took in the scope of it all. This was the Rhode Island School of Design ‘Apparel Design Collection 2014,’ featuring works of the students, not only those graduating this year, but also the classes of 2015 and 2016 with about 150 models from all over the region. The Class of 2016 opened the show with several futuristic outfits under the ‘Re-innovative project,’ where the students were charged with exploring the properties of recycled materials to create a wearable piece. For their print project, they had to create a garment that made optimal use of printed fabric designed by Nicole Miller. Immediately following, was the Class of 2015 with a
medley of looks ranging from solid colors and knits to one-piece jumpsuits and slouchy casual wear. For the knit wear project, they had to design and develop cut-and-sew, knit and machine-knit pieces, and their tailoring project was out of this world, featuring oversized jackets, and exaggerated pieces, as the students investigated tailoring techniques to design and produce tailored looks. Next up was the award and scholarships – presented by the head of department, Catherine Andreozzi and professor Donna Gustavsen. After a quick intermission, the graduating class of 2014 collection was revealed. Vastly creative in its mix of genres and styles, from avant garde to the ethereal, the looks were uninhibited, and it was obvious that the students were unafraid to take risks. They were authentic with their vision, and the audience was treated to the real personality of each look. The show ended with Colin Macgregor’s collection titled ‘Szkocja,’ an all male line up, sexy in Adidas, Scottish kilts, and a lot of swag. Each look was mixed with a business shirt and tie in a blend of ‘professional gone awry,’ and an undertone of an almost effortless masculine sexuality.
92 | Trade Secrets | 2014 Volume 2, Issue 2 | donahuemodels.com | 401.353.4940