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.

The jury. Photo by Lian Dziura (CCAD 2012).

The jury results are in and 15 designers will show their collections (more than 50 garments total) at the 2012 Senior Fashion Show. The designers were allowed to show up to six garments at the judging on March 1, after which the jury recommended the final  garments that should be in the show.

This year the designers were asked to find inspiration for their collection from both painters and sculptors. The works had to be produced in the same era and the artists had to be working prior to the mid 20^th century.

Below is a list of the participating designers and their collection inspiration. If you want to see their garments walk down the runway, you better get your tickets soon. (Prices go up March 15.)

1.) Tasha Naneth Bolton
Painter: Albert Henrich, “Still Life with Hat and Collar”
Sculptor: Axel Erlandson, “The Basket Tree”

2.) Rachel Cass
Painter: Salvador Dali
Sculptor: Louise Bourgeois

3.) Tasha Dircksen
Painter: Max Ernst, “33 Little Girls Chasing Butterflies”
Sculptor: Rudolph Belling, “Bluetenmotiv”

4.) Alyssa Johnson
Painter: Gustav Klimt, “Water Serpents I”
Sculptor: Boleslas Biegas, “The Haunted House”

5.) Rachel Kaplan
Painter: Georgia O’Keeffe, “Red Canna”
Sculpture: Umberto Boccioni, “Unique Forms of Continuity in Space”

6.) Sarah Pruden
Painter: Salvador Dali
Sculptor: Louise Nevelson

7.) Skyler Riggins
Painter: Georges Braque, “Man with a Guitar”
Sculptor: Barbara Hepworth, “Group of Three Magic Stones”

8.) Kristin Rose
Painter: Vincent Van Gogh
Sculptor: William Rimmer

9.) Nuonan Ruan
Painter: Chu Teh-Chun

10.) Annika Simmons
Painter: Jean Honore Fragonard, “Stolen Kiss”

11.) Amanda Mae Smith
Painter: Alphonse Mucha, “La Blonde”
Sculptor:  Antoni Gaudi, Barcelona’s Park Guell

12.) Joella Stallard
Painter: Max Ernst, “The Blind Swimmer”
Sculptor: Constantine Brancusi, “Bird in Space”

13.) Jennifer Tang
Painter: Wassily Kandinsky
Sculptor: Edward Erikson

14.) Michele Watson
Painter: Yinka Shonibare
Sculptor: Armand Fernandez

15.) Shirley Weng
Painter: Francis Picabia
Sculptor: Nanm Gabo