Pierre Cardin home page

What first struck me, when I started looking into Lisa Vogel’s Masters of Design muse Pierre Cardin, was how quickly I could see the connection between his aesthetic and her garments.

When describing why she chose Cardin, Lisa wrote “I was impressed by how he incorporated geometry [especially the circle] into his work.” Lisa also noted that she used the circle and a 60s mod aesthetic in her designs.

A quick trip to Cardin’s website shows exactly what she described—circles and a mod look.

Some Cardin highlights include introducing the “bubble dress” in 1954, designing the stylish suites worn by the pristine Mr. John Steed in the British TV series The Avengers, and proposing the collarless button jackets favored by the Beatles. He was also known for exploring space-age and unisex designs.

In addition to his use of geometric shapes, Lisa noted that she appreciated the way Cardin ignores the shape of the body and takes a more sculptural approach to design.

While inspired by Cardin, Lisa has certainly brought her own vision to her collection, including a more modern silhouette, embroidery and other hand stitching details, and using natural fabrics rather than the synthetic fabrics that were popularized by Cardin in the 60s.

Lisa Vogel 2011 Senior Fashion Design Major

One piece that she is particularly proud of is a black, boiled-wool cape.

“I hadn’t worked in boiled wool before,” Lisa said. “It draped even better than I anticipated.”

Also apparent in her collection is Lisa’s interest in construction.

“I love pattern making and construction,” she noted. “To me, these two disciplines are like solving a puzzle. All the pieces have to fit together just perfectly.”

Lisa, who hopes to build on her appreciation for the art of construction by working in technical design, has been getting a lot of hands-on experience interning with Lane Bryant. She adds that she could see herself staying in Columbus after graduation.

“A lot of people don’t realize that Ohio is such a hub for fashion,” she said. “Lots of companies are here.”

Stay tuned this spring as we check in with all 26 designers in the 2011 CCAD Senior Fashion Show. Don’t miss seeing their work in person. Get tickets at www.ccad.edu/fashion.