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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Runway Show Highlights the Top Work of Emerging Designers
Saturday, May 19
contact: Ann Hudner, 401 454-6347 ahudner@risd.edu
Providence, RI — Cutting-edge garments created by an intriguing group of emerging apparel designers will make their runway debut this spring, not in Paris or New York but in Providence, RI. COLLECTION 2007, the annual fashion show of the best work of up-and-coming young designers at Rhode Island School of Design, spotlights approximately 150 original works by 50 students and features the thesis collections of graduating seniors — the professional portfolio pieces that will earn many of them positions at top fashion houses around the world. COLLECTION 2007 will be held on Saturday, May 19 at 7pm, preceded by a 2pm dress rehearsal open to the public for a reduced rate. Both events take place at Veterans Memorial Auditorium, Avenue of the Arts (between Francis and Park streets) in Providence.
The rigorous selection process for the pieces presented in COLLECTION 2007 is an important part of students’ preparation to enter the highly competitive fashion industry. Months of conceptual development, experimentation, meticulous assembly and precise fittings culminate in a series of critiques ’ an intense process of review, discussion and recommendations for refinement led by a panel of established designers. Final selections for the runway show are also made by the jury, which this year includes Zac Posen, Kay Unger, Sari Gueron [RISD ’97] and Vera Wang designer Aaron Dickson [RISD ’02].
Students at all stages in RISD’s Apparel Design program submit their work to the jury for consideration. Among the many projects presented in COLLECTION 2007 are coats designed by seniors, in addition to their thesis collections, and knitwear and tailored jackets by juniors. For a new project sponsored by Cotton Inc., seniors used CAD technology to design printed fabrics, which were then professionally printed and made into garments designed by sophomores. Selected sophomores also present intriguing solutions to the “Innovatives” challenge: to construct clothing out of anything other than fabric. Lottery tickets, film, rubber grapes and metal springs are just a few of the offbeat alternative materials used this year.
A short film presents a behind-the-scenes look at the inspirations that give meaning to each senior’s work. “Hearing the students talk about their creative process highlights the fact that they are developing individual design personalities,” says Donna Gustavsen, acting head of the Apparel Design Department. “Every piece you see is the result of a unique vision that evolved over the course of a long and challenging process.” Each senior presents his or her collection as a cohesive show-within-a-show, choreographed with visuals, music and words that “reflect the attitude of the garments,” Gustavsen explains.
Many of the young student designers’ pieces bear the influence of their recent internship experiences in top fashion houses; all seniors are given the opportunity to complete a professional internship, and many have worked for multiple prestigious design studios. Katherine Vergos, who took inspiration for her children’s collection from the fabrics and handmade details of the 1930s, found a perfect fit at Ralph Lauren Kids. Gienah Barrera looked to the paintings of Klimt and Schiele for the dramatic shapes in her womenswear collection, and found her atelier experience at Calvin Klein Collection to be an inspiring demonstration of successful collaboration. “It was very encouraging to see creative minds working together towards the same goal — even in such a competitive business,” she says. Other seniors completed internships with DKNY, Narcisco Rodriguez, Zac Posen, Vera Wang, Alexander McQueen and Michael Kors, among others.
COLLECTION 2007 also presents the opportunity for members of the public to purchase one-of-a-kind creations by rising young designers. Selections from the runway show and other pieces by RISD’s Apparel Design students are offered for sale on Sunday, May 20 at 12pm in the RISD Auditorium lobby (Canal Walkway at Market Square, Providence).
Graduating seniors are poised to join a group of highly accomplished alumni making names for themselves in the apparel industry. Nicole Miller [RISD ’73], Sari Gueron [RISD ’97], Nicole Romano [RISD ’00], Laura Poretzky [RISD ’00] of Abaete and Nicole Murray [RISD ’92] of NM70 have all started independent labels, while others, such as Aaron Dickson [RISD ’02], designer at Vera Wang; Tess Giberson [RISD ’96], head designer at TSE; Vanessa Pang [RISD ’95], design/product developer for Donna Karan International; and Lena Wells [RISD ’96], designer at Hussein Chalayan, are among the many alumni who have found success at top-notch design houses.
RISD’s Apparel Design Department prepares students to meet the highest requirements of the fashion industry. Built on the philosophy that design and technical skills are mutually enhancing, the program is structured to take students through all aspects of apparel design and construction, from functional to experimental clothing. Technical classes proceed from basic to advanced drafting, draping, and construction, and incorporate the use of computers as a tool for designing and rendering apparel. RISD has offered programs in Costume, Clothing and Fashion since 1918, and established the Department of Apparel Design in 1952.
Tickets for COLLECTION 2007 are $60, $40 and $30 for downstairs seating; $40 for mezzanine seating; and $22 for balcony seating. The public may attend the 2pm preview/rehearsal show for $17 (advance purchase) or $20 (day of show). Tickets for the general public will be available beginning April 30 at www.tickets.com and 800 919-6272, and after May 14 from the VMA box office at 401 272-4VMA. Proceeds benefit the RISD Scholarship Fund. For more information please call 401 454-6741.
Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) has earned a worldwide reputation as the preeminent art and design college in the country. Today, with more than 17,000 alumni, the college enrolls roughly 1,900 undergraduates and 375 graduate students from the United States and almost 50 countries, offering degree programs in the fine arts, architecture, and design disciplines, and art education. Academic programs include research and design initiatives, the exploration of art criticism and contemporary cultural concerns, as well as international exchange programs. Each year, RISD hosts prominent and accomplished artists, critics, and authors to its campus. Included within the college is The RISD Museum of Art, which houses a world-class collection of art objects from Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome and art of all periods from Asia, Europe and the Americas, as well as the latest in contemporary art. For more information go to www.risd.edu.
Note to Editors: select images from work to be shown in COLLECTION 2007 are available upon request. Broadcast media and photographers are invited to attend the 2pm preview event on May 19. No flash photography will be allowed at the 7pm event. If you wish to obtain images, attend the show, or wish to arrange to speak with students and faculty members, contact Ann Hudner at 401 454-6347 or ahudner@risd.edu.
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