The Night Heron Ida C. Benedetto Ida C. Benedetto, BFA Design and Technology and BA History ’09, has taken design in new directions by staging creative interventions in disused spaces. Benedetto and her co-creator, N. D. Austin, conceived The Night Heron (shown here) as a temporary speakeasy in an empty Manhattan water tower. To access the ad hoc space, guests surreptitiously entered a derelict building, mounted stairs, and climbed a ladder to the water tower. During its seven-week existence in 2013, more than 700 visitors risked arrest to socialize in the tiny clandestine bar, which garnered the attention of the New Yorker, The Atlantic, and the New York Times. “You could go to The Night Heron only if someone who’d already gone gifted you admission. The chain of generosity brought uncommon magic to the risky experience,“ says Benedetto. Other projects have included the Illicit Couples’ Retreat, held at an abandoned Poconos resort, and a photo safari at Brooklyn’s defunct Domino Sugar Factory, under the project moniker Sextantworks. Today Benedetto conducts design research for a range of clients, holds a senior designer position at SYPartners and a research residency at The New Museum’s NEW INC cultural incubator, and lectures widely. uncommonplaces.com Benedetto and her partners turned a water tower into
The Displaced JAHNKOY Maria Kazakova, MFA Fashion Design and Society ’16, debuted The Displaced—a menswear collection under her label, JAHNKOY—to acclaim this past January at New York Fashion Week. The Siberian-born designer opened up a provocative dialogue about global commerce, the radical implications of craft, and climates political and environmental with her line, created from secondhand clothing and what appear to be cult-brand sportswear knockoffs. The Displaced, pieces of which are shown here, features Swarovski crystals and elaborate embroidery, resulting in a rich hybrid aesthetic. Visors, masks, and shoes complete ensembles that hint at performative gender play. In a publication distributed at her show, Kazakova explained her collection’s subtitle—“Crafting Revolution”—by describing craft as a peaceful protest against the dominant fashion system. Messages like “Don’t Bring Good Shit to Africa” and “Post-Freedom,” stitched on garments alongside sports logos and flags, reinforce her critique. The bricolage defies easy categorization while underscoring the power of fashion to raise questions about consumerism, inequality, and cultural imperialism. “In naming my line JAHNKOY, which means ‘new spirit village’ in Crimean Tatar, I’m convening global change makers,” explains Kazakova. She and fellow 2016 program graduate Kozaburo Akasaka were among the eight finalists—selected from 12,000 applicants— for the 2017 LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers. jahnkoy.com Maria Kazakova’s recent menswear collection presents an intense blend of colors, materials, and sociocultural messages.
portfolio: news & alumni work
an improvised bar for clandestine socializing.
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