Alexis Jacobs with friends at the 2012 Senior Fashion Show. From left: Venus Roby, Charla Crawford, Angela Pace, Regina Whann, and Jacobs. Photo courtesy of Terry Gilliam

By Kristin Mack Deuber

Cars have always been Alexis Jacobs’ passion. Since starting her career working alongside her father, William Jacobs, founder of Columbus Fair Auto Auction, she has now led it—one of the nation’s top auto auctions—for more than 40 years.

It’s no wonder, then, that Wheelz, a CCAD exhibition highlighting exotic cars and motorcycles as art, was what first hooked Jacobs on the college back in 2005. Since then she has supported many CCAD events and has never missed the Senior Fashion Show. She also gives to scholarships and was instrumental in helping build the CCAD Design Studios on Broad.

“I continue to be amazed by the talent at CCAD,” says Jacobs. “It’s so great to see young people with such artistic skills, especially when I can’t even draw a straight line.”

Jacobs plans to continue supporting CCAD on projects such as the new CCAD MindMarket, an incubator for arts-related business and a hub where businesses, government agencies, and other organizations can access CCAD talent.

“I plan to utilize the MindMarket as we bring our auto auction online,” says Jacobs. “We are excited to benefit from this local resource as well as give students real-life experience working in the auto auction business.”

Jacobs supports other youth- and education-focused organizations throughout central Ohio, including Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Franklin Park Conservatory, Charity Newsies, the Salesian Boys & Girls Club of Columbus, and the Ohio State University Foundation. She has also received numerous industry awards, and Columbus Fair Auto Auction has been ranked as one of the top 500 woman-owned businesses by Working Woman magazine.

To check out the online print version of IMAGE, click here.

Skyler Riggins knew from an early age that she wanted to be part of fashion design.

At the age of six, Skyler Riggins decided she was going to make an outfit for one of her Barbie dolls. Her thought was she could just cut up one of her own shirts and put it together for her doll. It didn’t work out quite that well and her parents were less than thrilled that she was cutting up her wardrobe, but it was that initial desire to create that would ultimately lead her to CCAD.

“I wanted to study fashion design because the art of clothes appealed to me and I enjoy figuring out how to translate a concept into fashion,” says Skyler. “One of the reasons I chose to study at CCAD is because of the diversity. It’s very important to understand the differences of others and to be able to work effectively in a realistic environment.”

The entire process of fashion design appeals to Skyler; however, she is most intrigued by developing a concept, then researching it, and finally designing the collection. It’s a process that she got plenty of practice in this year, especially when uncovering her muses. Over the course of about two weeks, she pieced through mounds of research until she finally discovered Georges Braque’s oil painting “Man with a Guitar” and Barbara Hepworth’s silver sculpture “Group of Three Magic Stones.”

Organic shapes and colors inspired many of Skyler's designs.

She notes that Georges Braque was interested in the ideas of multiple perspectives, geometry, complex patterns of faceted forms, and monochromatic color. She also enjoyed the fact that he was involved in the art movement of Cubism and Fauvism. Barbara Hepworth, who created modern and abstract art in sculpture, complimented this in Skyler’s eyes.

“I chose these artworks because they relate to each other through color and form,” points out Skyler. “The painting consists of rich colors including gold, silver, bronze, grey, and ivory and the sculpture is made of silver. Both art pieces have a similar long trapezoid shape within it and are very geometrical.”

She interpreted these artworks in her pieces by creating structural, fitted, and geometrical silhouettes. She placed emphasis on pleating, seams, and geometric flat shapes that matched the long trapezoid shapes she was first attracted to in the art pieces. She hand-painted several of her silk pieces including a blouse and dress, and also applied foil with glue to her silk habouti to create a specific design on the waistline of her skirt. Sometimes when the foil piece was pulled away the final design was what she intended, sometimes it was a complete surprise, which was even better.

With graduation just weeks away, most students would be looking forward to taking a break for a bit, but Skyler intendeds to keep practicing and working on her design techniques.

“The most difficult challenge for me while working on my collection is time and thought management. I take a lot of time in my work and while creating patterns and sewing I over-think the steps of it,” reflects Skyler. “After I graduate, I plan on perfecting my speed and thought process of drafting patterns and constructing garments.”

Tickets are dwindling, but you still have time to grab a few to the 2012 Senior Fashion Show, but be quick! It’s a night you won’t want to miss.

Rachel Cass in the CCAD sewing lab.

Rachel Cass is not one to procrastinate. Last summer she not only chose her muse for her senior thesis, but with her sketch book in hand, she set out on a road trip to New York City and found every single piece of fabric she would later use for her collection. All before classes had officially started.

But, before Rachel took to the road, she researched and uncovered her muse.

“I spent several days in the library digging through different images of some of the paintings that I was in love with and I kept coming across Salvador Dali,” she remembers. The bigger challenge was the second half of the assignment—finding a sculptor of the same era as a second muse. “I just didn’t know who to pair him with because he’s such a different artist, especially with his use of surrealism with color and shape.”

She finally stumbled upon the massive spider sculptures of Louise Bourgeois and found that the armature nature of the spiders were the connection and final key that she needed.

The result includes soft smooth lines, combined with hard angles and structure to form a new mix of lounge ware.

“It’s somewhere between lingerie, lounge, and ready-to-wear,” notes Rachel. “These designs create a true mix-and-match collection, which allow you to feel sexy, sophisticated, and comfortable.”

With muse in mind, it was time for the road trip. Rachel, along with her boyfriend and fellow classmate, ventured to the Big Apple in search of the perfect fabrics.

Louise Bourgeois Spider in front of the Tate Modern in London

“I knew I kind of wanted that soft and hard element in my line, so I started out in the jerseys and let the fabric speak to me,” remembers Rachel. “I just started pulling fabrics that I liked, that I was attracted to, and what spoke to me.  Then I laid them all out.”

Before she knew it she had developed a color palette of fabrics that mimicked the color story in her favorite Salvador Dali painting. Silks, knits, organza and jerseys were all laid out before her and they all complimented her initial inspiration.

“I ended up going with my gut and listened to myself. I knew what felt right and just went for it,” she says. “I bought all my fabric right then and there. I took everything with me. I had my entire six garments worth of fabric.”

Once the fabric was set, Rachel set out on a new goal. To not only produce six garments, the maximum that she could present for the Senior Fashion Show jury, but to get every single one in the show.

“I wanted to push myself and create six looks. It would be one thing if they were single pieces, but all of mine are separates,” says Rachel. “This is a lot of work, and because some of them are lingerie pieces, getting the fit right was very important. Mix that with silk and knits and I gave myself a huge challenge.”

The challenge paid off.  All six of her designs were selected by the jury to appear in the show. But before Rachel even had time to relish in her success, she was already looking to how she could make the garments better before the show.

You’ll have a chance to see Rachel’s new mix of ready-to-wear designs on May 11^th, but tickets are going fast. Buy yours here today!

Michele shows off some of her completed designs

As a young child, Michele Watson carried around a sketchbook and crayons everywhere she went. “I would draw little skinny female figures with huge heads, almost like a Bratz doll, with clothes my friends had worn that day,” says Michele.  “It wasn’t until my teacher’s aid told me that I should start drawing my own designs on my figures that I knew I wanted to have a career in fashion.” That was in second grade.

Michele still carries around a sketchbook, but her style and designs have obviously evolved immensely and are ever-changing. “I always want to do different things,” she says. “I don’t want to get bored with one thing.”

Her selected muses for the senior fashion show encompass that thinking. She knew she wanted to include African culture and fabrics in her collections, but struggled at first to find works that not only spoke to her, but also would connect to her original vision.

She finally discovered the works of Armand Fernandez, a French-born American sculptor, best known for his “accumulations” and destruction/recomposition of objects and Yinka Shonibare, a British-Nigerian artist whose work explores the issues of race and class.

“I chose both these artists because combined, their works embodied the artistic vision I wanted to present in my collection,” says Michele. “My sculptor Armand Fernandez’s work is very repetitive and uses common found objects and presents them as endlessly repeated forms. I tried to show that in my collection through the repetition of pleats.”

Michele’s other muse, Yinka Shonibare’s is known for using the richly patterned Dutch wax fabric produced in Europe for a West African market in his work. For this reason, Michele’s artistic vision included the use of multiple versions of handmade printed fabric that she acquired from a woman who makes frequent trips to Africa.

“Mixing the prints together was very hard because I didn’t want to use just one print for each garment, I wanted to mix them up,” she adds. “I really had to focus on where I would place the fabrics in each piece so they wouldn’t overpower the design.”

Michele's early sketches and fabric swatches

During this process, Michele was also surprised by how much her collection’s direction changed from sketch to final garment, especially during the fabric placement stage.

“I drew out what I thought I wanted but when I started to construct the designs, they started to change,” says Michele. “Some designs that I drew didn’t match the fabric so I had to rethink it and redesign it.”

In the end, her hard work and attention to detail paid off as all four of her presented designs made it into the show. When asked what advice she would give to a designer about to embark on the same journey she is close to completing, she quickly advises that doing your research is key.

“I know I have a lot of ideas, which isn’t bad,” she laughs. “But, you want to be able to narrow those ideas down to see which ones you can combine to create your final vision”

Be sure to purchase your tickets now before they are gone, so you can see Michele’s final vision take the runway on May 11.

Dates to remember.

Per usual there is a lot going on at CCAD. Whether you’re local or planning a trip back to Columbus, here are a few things coming up that might interest you.

Through Feb. 3, 2012
Malcolm Cochran: Dutch Shoes
Dutch Shoes is an installation piece from a series of four highly personal works that Malcolm Cochran executed when he was teaching in the Netherlands in the mid-1990s. Learn more here.

Feb. 10-March 16, 2012
Two exhibitions: Bending the Mirror and home.
Opening reception is Feb 10, 6–8 p.m. in the Canzani Center Gallery.
CCAD presents two new exhibitions in the Canzani Center Gallery: Bending the Mirror, which samples the fecund diversity of international figurative art today, and home., which examines what we might call “normal” suburbia through the work of painter Jessica Rohrer and photographers Bill Owens and Mark Slankard. Learn more here.

March 30-April 27, 2012
MFA Thesis Exhibition: Join us as we celebrate our first MFA graduating class.

April  14, 2012
CCAD Art Sale, spring edition. Table sign ups should start in late February or early March (the exact date is still being determined). An email with sign up info will go out to all alumni on our email list. You can also check the Selling at CCAD’s Art Sale page for updates.

If you are an alum, but not on our email list, sign up here and be sure to check the “alumni newsletter and notices” box.

April 25, 2012
Directions Career Fair
This reverse career fair allows employers to check out portfolios and speak to soon-to-be CCAD graduates. If you are one of the many alumni that take advantage of this annual event to find fresh talent, keep your eye out for more details, including how to register.

Save the date: May 11, 2012
CCAD Senior Fashion Show Event (tickets will go on sale early in 2012)
Opening of the 133^rd Annual Student Exhibition

For a complete list of upcoming events, check out our event listings.

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

On the evening of May 13, during CCAD’s Senior Fashion Show Event, CCAD will auction off two tickets to the celebrity-studded and very exclusive Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and After Party.

“We are extremely fortunate to get these tickets,” said Stephanie Hightower, CCAD’s vice president of Institutional Advancement. “It’s like the Oscar’s or the Grammy’s—the public can’t just buy tickets to this event. We are offering an exclusive opportunity to attend one of the most anticipated events of the year.”

Thanks to a generous donation by CCAD Fashion Show sponsor Limited Brands, the college was able to acquire the tickets for auction to raise funds for CCAD scholarships.

The lucky bidder will receive prime seating at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, which means they will be surrounded by A-list celebrities while they watch some of today’s top supermodels strut down the runway along with chart-topping musical acts. Following the show the winning ticket holders will be invited to the exclusive, official after-show party.

Katy Perry and Akon performed at last year’s show; past Angels have included Heidi Klum, Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Doutzen Kroes and Miranda Kerr. In previous years the Grammy Award winning Black Eyed Peas, Usher, Seal, Justin Timberlake, The Spice Girls, Chris Botti, Ricky Martin, Sting, will.i.am, Mary J. Blige and Destiny’s Child performed at this extraordinary runway event. Guests at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion show will be seated among a star-studded audience, which has previously included celebrities such as Jay Z, Elton John, Elizabeth Taylor, Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Wahlberg, Terrance Howard, Josh Lucas, Alex Rodriguez, Martha Stewart, Eva Longoria, Ryan Seacrest, Hayden Panettiere, Gabrielle Union, Amanda Bynes, Jeremy Piven, Neil Patrick Harris, Molly Sims, Denzel Washington, P. Diddy, Derek Jeter, Lenny Kravitz, and Sting.

(Check out Victoria’s Secret’s website for video, runway photos, and red carpet photos)

Bidding for the tickets will start at $25,000 with all proceeds going to CCAD’s general scholarship fund (100 percent of the bid is tax deductible).

Only guests of the May 13 CCAD Senior Fashion Show will be able to bid (you must be present to bid), so if you haven’t gotten your tickets, purchase them online today.

The 2011Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is Wednesday, Nov. 9. The location and musical acts have yet to be announced as of this posting.

The winning bidder will receive updated event information from Limited Brands as it is announced, and tickets will be mailed two weeks prior to the show. Please note that the Victoria’s Secret Fashion show is subject to cancellation, and should this occur the winning bid on this item will be fully refunded upon the winning bidder’s request.

(click on thumbnail to see full image.)

Backstage at the senior fashion show

More than 500 people attended CCAD’s sold-out senior fashion show, Under the Big Top, on May 9, 2009.  Dressed-to-impress guests came to CCAD’s campus where they got a taste of NYC fashion week—including the beautiful white tent. Top-tier tickets included a champagne brunch and preferred seating to see dazzling circus-inspired garments from 26 senior fashion designers.

Read a related press release.