The show is about to start.

8:50

OK, we made it, we’re here, and boy is it PACKED.

The house lights are down, and there’s a fabulous pre-show video (produced by Ologie) playing. And, the lights come back as WBNS-10TV’s Kristyn Hartman takes the stage with Michael and Arlene Weiss who are representing our runway sponsor, EXPRESS. They will cut the big red ribbon to kick off the show.

One of these days I’m going to need to ask someone: where exactly does one buy giant scissors?

Up first is six looks from Rachel Chertoff. The gorgeous knit pieces in this collection were painstakingly hand crocheted. I love how she subtly shapes her clothes to frame, and accentuate different areas of the figure.

Next are designs by Leah Sloane Kennedy followed by Jazzmin Evans. While both are showcasing classic red dresses their approaches are distinctly different.

Side note: the make-up and hair by Mukha Custom Cosmetics and Jolie Laide is the finishing touch that gives our show that professional, fashion-week feel.

custom designed fabric

Antoiné Slater’s looks follow. Her African prints are bold and work well with the strong, structured lines in her designs—her patterned pants and jacket are fierce!

Sarah Frederick also brings us some beautifully constructed pants, but her looks are softer. Her color pallet brings in more creams and blues. There’s a lot of detail work in Sarah’s collection—and she was tapped to create a custom piece for Ms. Kristy Eckert from Capital Style (who looks stunning in the Frederick original).

Our next two designers, Karla Norquist and Jess Betz bring a tropical, beachy vibe to the runway.

Point of interest. This year I’m seeing more pants, shorts, jackets, and men’s looks than past years. Anyone who has watched Project Runway can appreciate that well-fitted pants, shorts, and sleeves are quite difficult to achieve. This crop of designers really challenged themselves and it shows. Ngockhanh Ngo is a perfect example. His Americana-inspired menswear collection is meticulously constructed, fits perfectly, and shows an impressive attention to detail.

Danielle Nicole Jones also bring meticulously constructed garments to the runway, and they are paired with strong vibrant prints that she designed and produced. The ankle-length gown, in particular is a delicious surprise.

Katlin Hatfield’s armor-inspired look is highly structured as Kate Elaine Pohrt’s. Kate has carefully pieced together unique, metallic fabrics to create women and men’s wear that is art-deco-inspired, yet futuristic.

Structure plays a role in Jennica Gray’s look, but the end result feels soft and flows—in part because of the seamless way she has pieced together contrasting colors.

The collection

Nicole Chhuom brings a more neutral palette to the runway, which provides continuity to her two otherwise divergent looks.

Another designer who did mostly menswear and who designed his own patterned fabrics, Dax Thomas Kauser, brings us an edgy, modern, cohesive collection. Each look is beautiful and distinct and yet there is still a sense of unity between his pieces.

Olivia Brezinski’s look combines sleek leather with soft feathers, giving it a goth-princess feel.

In contrast, Phoebe Isaac’s looks are celestial with their soothing blue tones. The long-sleeved, floor-length dress, is particularly stunning as the model turns and we see the cut-out back.

Old world meets new world with Tina Hughes’ collection. There is definitely a European feel to her collection, and yet there are pieces that have a distinctly vintage American flavor.

Kassie Haji brings us a nice range of garments in her five-piece collection, but what really stands out is her menswear look. The suit is sleek, modern, and original.

Stunning

From Katharine E. Hire’ sassy patterned jacket with the triangular cut out in the back to her stunning, purple, a-symmetrical dress; this collection is a crowd pleaser. Point of interest: she bought her fabrics in Africa while on a medical mission trip.

Olivia Mitchell’s architecture-inspired collection is a futuristic wonder coming down the runway and is a perfect segue to Krista Guanlao Sison’s looks. I’ve been looking forward to seeing one piece of hers in particular. Her collection was inspired by a Spanish cathedral, and the last look in the show is truly wearable art—like a moving sculpture.

Twenty-one designers, 66 looks, and now we get to the part of the show that always makes me tear up. Each designer comes out to be recognized. The riotous applause of the crowd and the love they are showing to these young designers is palpable. And as each designer finishes their loop on the runway they are met by their fearless leader, Fashion Design Chair Suzanne Cotton, who gives them flowers. The designers now return the gesture and present Ms. Cotton with her own bouquet—seriously, tears here.

As the audience begins to settle down Kristyn Hartman takes the stage once more, and presents Katharine Hire with the Easton Fashion award, sponsored by Easton Town Center. With that there is only one thing left to do…DANCE!

See you in a bit.

Jurors look over a garment

By Kristen Foley

Facing a jury could perhaps be one of most daunting tasks any individual could ever experience, and the outcome, in this case, means earning a spot in the 2013 CCAD Senior Fashion Show.

This is THE moment when a year’s worth of a student’s design work is reviewed and critiqued by an elite group of professionals from the fashion industry. Their ruling will decide what pieces (or even entire collections) will grace the runway this year, and there’s no guarantee that every designer will make the cut. It’s a nerve-racking, nail-biting experience, even for me and all I have to do is sit here and enjoy the amazing works of wearable art.

This year’s jury of fashion professionals included alumna Katie Brennan (CCAD 2003), design director at Abercrombie & Fitch; Connie Ballenger, owner of Leal Boutique; Elizabeth Bean Smith, owner, Wardrobe Therapy; Kristy Eckert, editor for Capital Style; alumna Jennifer Porreca-Faux (CCAD 2002), design director at Tween Brands; Monique Morin, design director at Limited Brands; and Sara Zimmerman, art director and Express stylist.

Suzanne Cotton, chair of the fashion design department, kicked off the event by advising the jury that they really needed to consider what was the crème de la crème out of the 120 designs they would view. Is the piece a good design? Is it made well? Finally, will it look good on the runway?

Due to the large amount of pieces to consider for this year’s show, jury members had a little over a minute to view each garment and make their final decisions. The limited time didn’t stop them from asking the models to turn or step closer, and often they would reach out to touch and feel the fabric’s texture. Their questions were direct and pointed. They knew exactly what information they needed to gather in the short time they had to view each piece.

As noted in a previous post, this year brought an exciting change in that there was no overarching theme for the designers to use as a starting point. The students were challenged to find their muse and inspiration within themselves and then transfer that to their collections. It proved to be an exhilarating challenge, as the collections are unique and very personal. Glimmers of deep copper, rich knits, futuristic designs, tie-dye, fiberglass, sheer fabrics, and bright blues were just some of the design details this class put forth. There was even some canine couture this year!

It will take a few days to review and collect all of the jury’s comments before the final selections are announced, so be sure to check back here for the details. And keep following us as I’ll be profiling each individual designer and the inspiration behind their collections.

If you want to ensure you have a seat to see the chosen pieces, buy your tickets online now. They are selling quickly and prices go up soon. Based on the collections shown today, it’s a night you won’t want to miss.

Suzanne Cotton during a garment presentation, photo courtesy Luke Kramer

By Kristen M. Foley

There is a chill in the air and the promise of more snow before the first buds of a new season make their grand appearance. Yet, visions of spring and the fashion event it brings have long been on the minds of CCAD’s senior Fashion Design majors who will create the looks for the 2013 CCAD Fashion Show, which will hit the runway on May 10.

In just a few short weeks the students will face the jury, where they will present up to six looks from their collection to be considered for the runway event. Students need to present their best and most complete work to be considered, and the professional jury will not only choose what goes in the show, but will also provide invaluable, constructive critiques. With 27 students in this year’s class, Suzanne Cotton, chair of the fashion design department, expects this to be a much tougher selection process.

“There is a limit in how long the show can be,” notes Cotton. “This year it’s going to be the crème de la crème that ultimately get picked for the May 10 event.”

This year brings an exciting change for the students. In years past, students were given a theme at the end of their junior year that they would use to inspire and drive their final senior collection. Previous themes have included the circus, paintings and sculptures of famous artists, and leaders in fashion design. This year, there is no overarching theme for the designers to use as a starting point. The students were challenged to find their muse and inspiration within themselves and then transfer that to their collections.

“It’s something we’ve been thinking about for a while,” said Cotton. “Each designer has their own individual personality and this show is really about showcasing their work. We’re giving the students the opportunity, really from conception all the way through to design and construction, to really show a truer feeling of what their work is all about.”

Suzanne Cotton during a garment presentation, photo courtesy Luke Kramer

Although the students were initially ecstatic about embarking on their senior journey without a pre-determined theme to guide them, they soon found unique challenges in creating a cohesive collection without an assigned starting point.

“When someone gives you your starting point, it really takes the pressure off,” explained Cotton. “Thinking anything can be your starting point is kind of overwhelming. They had to look inside of themselves and that can intimidating. These kids have worked for four years and this is the big finish and they want to do something spectacular.”

The result of this new direction is a group of diverse collections that are more personally tied to the individual designers.

“The exciting part is getting to hear the personal stories behind their collections,” said Cotton. “We have one student who has done work in science and physics and that came out in her collection. Another student is working with Plexiglas and yet another who has looked at her traditional clothes tied to her heritage and how she could update them to be on trend today.”

Cotton also believes this process has allowed the students to grow even more as designers and utilize what they’ve learned in their years at CCAD.

“They began to understand that the great idea might not always be the first one they think of. It may be the fifth or sixth that really turns into something amazing,” said Cotton. “It’s a process that will help them as they move into the career world.”

There is a lot more to share about the 2013 CCAD Fashion Show, including the jurying process, the photo shoot for the show’s lookbook, and one-on-one interviews with each participating designer—so stay tuned.

Tickets for the 2013 Senior Fashion Show event go on sale February 1, and don’t forget this spectacular event is a fundraiser to support the next creative class with scholarships and more.

Working in the CCAD Fashion Design lab.

My name is Kristen Foley and, as of today, I am joining the CCAD fashion show blogging team. When I was first asked to blog for the annual senior fashion show I was giddy at the thought of  working this fabulous event (since it always sells out!), and I was elated at the idea of getting a personal behind-the-scenes introduction to the true stars of the show, the senior designers.

As I prepared for my first visit to the Fashion Design lab, I was reminded of one of my favorite quotes that the lovely, albeit daunting, CoCo Chanel once shared.

“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”

Working in the CCAD Fashion Design lab.

Fashion is everywhere. It defines your sense of style, varies with the times; and, ultimately, the choices you make in fashion showcase who you are at your core.

The fashion illuminated in this show represents the vision of the senior designers, but the looks also share a common theme. Each student was charged with choosing a muse from the fine art world—a painting and a sculpture from the same period (but they had to choose artists who were working before 1950).

While the senior designers were already several months into their preparations for the event, I was still able to witness the conception and birth of several designs during my visit to their studio last week. Each designer’s approach is unique and the garments range from evening gowns to men’s wear and children’s wear.

The planning stages.

Some collections, with their bold patterns and rich colors, instantly shouted the connection to the chosen muse, while others hinted at their muse with subtle whispers. What was evident throughout was the sheer passion of the students as they worked on their designs.

Suzanne Cotton, chair of the fashion design department, shared with me that this truly is the students’ chance to shine. After graduation, many students may go on to work for top name fashion companies but they will then have to adopt the fashion philosophies of that business. There would be little room for interpretation. Right now, they get do their own thing.

As I toured the space I also noticed that some of the pieces were more evolved than others. With each student working on a collection of up to six garments, I saw several garments near completion, with shoes and accessories to match, while others were being cut from patterns or waiting on ordered fabric. Several designers sheepishly admitted that they were extremely critical of their own work and had started fresh on a new design or with a different fabric.

While the fashion show may seem like it’s months away to those of us who only have to happily await the final results, the time remaining for the students to not only finish, but perfect their designs is quickly ticking away. I’m excited to see the evolution of these amazing pieces over the next few weeks and even more eager to share my experience with all of you.

If you haven’t already, be sure to get your tickets while they are still available at the advanced purchase price. Trust me, you’ll want to see the final designs when they come down the runway.

Fashion Design Chair Suzanne Cotton was recently featured in "The Columbus Dispatch."

When writing an article about the evolution of outdoor markets, Columbus Dispatch reporter Kevin Joy looked to CCAD Fashion Design Chair Suzanne Cotton for some insight on its impact on the world of fashion.

In “No Fleas, Please: Evolving breed of outdoor markets finding success with eclectic items,” Cotton discussed how the lines between brand giants and one-of-a-kind vintage wear are often blurred. Here’s an excerpt from the article:

“After all, ‘It’s a lot easier to find a used garment and knock it off,’ said Suzanne Cotton, department chair for the fashion design program at Columbus College of Art & Design, who cited Abercrombie & Fitch and Anthropologie as well-known flea-market scouts (the latter, in fact, in 2009 became the subject of a Sundance Channel series, Man Shops Globe).

‘All of a sudden, the stores started to realize there were so many good ideas in vintage things.’”

In addition to serving as the Fashion Design chair, Cotton teaches fashion illustration, construction, and senior collection. She has extensive experience in the garment industry, including design director at Bellepointe Inc.; knitwear designer at Marisa Christina; knitwear designer at Design Options; and an assistant position at Tandler Textiles. She earned her BFA from Parsons School of Design and studied fashion design at American University of Paris and marketing and communications at Franklin University.

Read the article in its entirety here.