The senior fashion design students will send their beloved senior collections down the runway June 4. The fashion show will take place at the Urban Outfitters Venue in the naval yard. Participants have slaved for months over their senior collection; during this time period, both lack of sleep and immense creativity influenced what these designers envisioned strutting down the catwalk. Now, the day is almost here!
Every designer has a completely different approach to finding inspiration for his/her line, whether influenced by different materials, theories, concepts, etc. Highlighted in this article are four very different, extremely talented seniors’ approaches to their beautiful collections.
The Technological Perspective
Kristy Jost’s work thus far has encompassed exploration of non-traditional and technologically advanced materials used for garment construction. She collaborates with the college of engineering (the A. J. Drexel Nanotechnology Institute and the Nanophotonics Group with head of the fashion department Genvieve Dion) to work on “smart clothes.” Her goal is to produce electronic textiles and clothes that are technologically forward, functional, wearable and pleasing to the eye. It is no surprise that one of her favorite designers is Chalayan Heussein, who focuses on creating beautiful transforming garments on the runway with the use of hundreds of wires to control them. This intelligent individual plans to begin her Ph.D. in materials science at Drexel University and continue her work on technologically advanced garments and textiles.
Kristy’s Senior Collection:
TT: What is your senior collection about?
KJ: My senior collection was inspired by the modern architecture of Santiago Calatrava, and the transparency and structure of carbon nanotubes. Technology and materials have been an ongoing influence in my work, so I chose to exclusively use neoprene and nylon horsehair to really sculpt architectural and futuristic forms across the body.
TT: How is your senior collection different from anybody else’s?
KJ: I wanted to use very different materials, such as neoprene and nylon horsehair, to sculpt different architectural forms.
TT: How many times did you change your idea for your senior collection?
KJ: Three times … it took three months to really like any of my ideas, and then I designed one skirt for a portfolio class and that was it! That skirt inspired the rest of the collection.
TT: What was your favorite fashion class you have taken at Drexel?
KJ: Couture – learning about the details of making corsets can be applied to almost anything, as the techniques are simple yet effective at creating a specific effect. And I loved making my evening gown!
The Artistic and Urban Perspective
Cassandra Kane has an impressive resume. Before coming to Drexel for fashion, she almost went to art school to become a painter. A member of the Pennoni Honors College, she participated in the Arts of Fashion competition and she is the winner of the Charles Evans Scholarship (a fashion award for best portfolio, in which a percent of senior tuition is covered). Kane’s interests in outerwear and sportswear were explored when she was offered an amazing co-op with designer Dennis Basso. She had many responsibilities, seeing as this was a small, high-end company, and she worked predominantly with furs. One of her favorite designers is Christopher Bailey for Burberry Prorsum because of his “incredible creativity using shearlings and furs, as well as his impeccable reinvention of tailored wools.” She also admires Ivan Grundhal and Anne Demuelemeester for their “blatant disregard for current trends in favor of truly unique style.” Kane’s off-beat and unique collection and beautiful drawings are sure to “wow” on the runway.
Cassandra’s Senior Collection:
TT: What is your senior collection about?
CK: My collection addresses the needs of powerful urban utilitarian amazons, visually fabulous while braving intense modern city life. Focused upon a blending and layering of textures, cozy machine knits, decadent furs, sharp airbrushed leather, shearlings and tailored wool, this collection embodies utilitarian, sophisticated street-wear. Many of my garments are designed with functioning storage space, incorporated within the body and collars of the garments, and detachable pocket harnesses as an alternative to traditional handbags. By combining these elements, I strive to give this urban workingwoman a uniform for conquering her world.
TT: How is your collection different from anyone else’s?
CK: I chose to work with difficult, more controversial materials including furs and shearlings after the positive experience I had working with a designer furrier company for my co-op. I also incorporated my own prints by creating stencils and airbrushing the leather and shearling in shades and patterns on accessories to compliment the outerwear. All of my accessories are also extremely integral to the garments, although they can be worn separately.
TT: How many times did you change your idea for your senior collection?
CK: I changed my ideas for senior collection countless times.
TT: What was your favorite class at Drexel?
CK: My favorite fashion class was tailoring as I am most attracted to designing outerwear.
The Provocative and “Costumesque” Perspective
Lauren Mukalian is extremely interested in costume. She studies certain time periods and is able to either design as if she were making something for that particular era or modernize the look while staying true to the period. Upon graduating, she hopes to move to New York City and design for a lingerie or costume designer. In the future, she hopes to design costumes for films. Her favorite designer is John Galliano for Dior, whose collections, she believes, are unique because they “are always based on a time period or event in history and are always over the top, while still remaining beautiful.”
Lauren’s Senior Collection:
TT: What is your senior collection about?
LM: My senior collection is a creative representation of the life of Lady Worsley, aka Seymour Dorothy Flemming, who was alive in the late 1700s. She led a very scandalous life full of affairs and had the very first publicized divorce. People followed her life in the papers just like people follow celebrity gossip today.
TT: What makes your work different from your other classmates?
LM: I chose to focus my collection on one specific person and time period, and gave my collection the feeling of costume as opposed to my classmates who did more wearable pieces.
TT: How many times did you change your idea for your senior collection?
LM: The main idea was there from day one. I have been researching Lady Worsley and the 18th century for about three years, so my idea just needed tweaking. I started out wanting it to be more historically accurate but ended up modernizing a lot of my ideas.
TT: Favorite fashion class you have taken at Drexel?
LM: A tie between lingerie, collection and tailoring.
The Natural Perspective
Kristin Eissler is a pre-med major turned fashion design major. Eissler draws inspiration from nature and designs her own beautiful textiles. Her senior collection almost looks like a walking kaleidoscope. Upon graduating, she will work for Destination Maternity in Philadelphia for the knit top division, but she one day aspires to launch her own line and prefers to design eveningwear. Her favorite designer is Alexander McQueen because his use of drama juxtaposes with exotic prints triggers her own imagination.
Kristin’s Senior Collection:
TT: What is your senior collection about?
KE: My senior collection is about my love for nature. I personally designed all the prints for my dresses. Each print is a collection of photographs from nature. The jewelry and headdresses I made are inspired by Native Americans.
TT: What makes your work different from your other classmates?
KE: My work is based on prints, powerful colors and dramatic silhouettes. That combination makes the difference.
TT: How many times did you change your idea for your senior collection?
KE: I have never changed my mind. It is the same concept I began with, although it grows and transforms in the process.
TT: Favorite fashion class you have taken?
KE: My favorite class was senior collection. I have dreamed of making my collection since my freshman year; no other class can compare.