COLLECTION 2014: RISD’s Annual Runway Show Highlights the Top Work of Emerging Apparel Designers

PROVIDENCE, RI – After months of conceptual development, experimentation and meticulous construction, final garments designed by Rhode Island School of Design [RISD] students will make their runway debut at COLLECTION 2014. The Apparel Design department’s popular fashion show will take place at 7:00PM (with a preview show at 2:00PM) on Saturday, May10at the Rhode Island Convention Center, One Sabin Street, Providence, RI.

The fun and fast-paced evening of entertainment offers an exciting opportunity for more than 50 talented young designers to showcase their one-of-a-kind creations to an enthusiastic audience eager for a sneak peak at the tastemakers and trendsetters of the future. Attendees are given a first-hand look at many of the portfolio pieces that will earn graduates positions at top fashion houses around the world.

The designs shown in each year’s COLLECTION are juried by a panel of guest critics – professional designers who carefully review and discuss the work, give students critical feedback and select the best garments for the runway show. The rigorous selection process for the pieces shown in COLLECTION 2014 is an important part of students’ preparation to enter the competitive industry. This year the jury includes the talented Neil Gilks, senior projects manager, CFDA;Laird Borrelli, fashion historian and author; Robert Geller [RISD Apparel ‘01], menswear designer; Nicole Miller [RISD Apparel ‘73], fashion designer; Reed Krakoff, fashion designer; Peter Som, fashion designer; Leo Narducci [RISD Apparel '60], fashion designer and Lorraine Howes, RISDProfessor Emerita of Apparel Design.

Among the projects presented in COLLECTION 2014 are designs by seniors selected from their year-long thesis collections – unified bodies of work that showcase professional-grade conceptual and technical skills. For juniors the work is from their men’s or women’s tailored jacket looks and cut/sew knitwear project. Sophomore work is selected from print project using prints from Nicole Miller [RISD Apparel ‘73], as well as from the Re-Innovatives challenge to construct a wearable piece using recycled materials other than fabric.

“COLLECTION is a much anticipated event that showcases the incredible talent of our students to the community,” notes Associate Professor Catherine Andreozzi [RISD ‘87], head of the Apparel Design department. “For seniors it marks the culmination of their development and education at RISD.”

One-of-a-kind selections from the runway show and other pieces by RISD’s Apparel Design students are offered for sale to the public on Sunday, May 11 12:00–4:00PM at RISD’s Market House, 27 Market Square, Providence. Selected designs will also be available from 11:00AM–5:00PM at the Providence clothing boutique Clad in, 497 Angell Street (Wayland Square).

Graduating seniors are poised to join a group of prominent alumni in the apparel industry. Nicole Miller [RISD ’73], Sari Gueron [RISD ’97], Katie Gallagher [RISD ’09], Sally Lapointe [RISD ’06], Robert Geller [RISD ’01], Nicole Romano [RISD ’00], Ani Alvarez-Calderon [RISD ’92], Laura Poretzky [RISD ’00] Tess Giberson [RISD ’96], Tae Ashida [RISD ’87],and Marcia Patmos [RISD ’91] have all started independent labels, while others – such as 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 product visualization. RISD has offered programs in Costume, Clothing and Fashion since 1918, and established the department of Apparel Design in 1952.

Tickets for COLLECTION 2014 are $42 – $62. For the preview show at 2:00pm, tickets are $17 in advance and $22 the day of performance. Tickets for the general public will be available beginning April 14 at the Dunkin Donuts Center box office, online at ticketmaster.com or at Ticketmaster Charge by Phone: 1.800.745.3000. Tickets are available on site at the Convention Center box office on May 10 only. Proceeds benefit the RISD Scholarship Fund. For more information please call 401.454.6180.risd.edu/collection/

About Rhode Island School of Design

Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) has earned an international reputation as the leading college of art and design in the United States. Recently ranked #1 in Business Insider’s survey of The World’s 25 Best Design Schools, approximately 2,400 students from around the world study at RISD, pursuing full-time bachelor’s or master’s degree programs in a choice of 19 studio majors. RISD is known for its phenomenal faculty of artists and designers, the breadth of its specialized facilities and its hands-on, studio-based approach to learning – one in which critical thinking informs making works by hand. Required courses in the liberal arts provide an essential complement to studio work, enabling graduates to become critical and informed individuals eager to engage with the world. Through the accomplishments of its 26,000 alumni, the college champions the vital role artists and designers play in satisfying the global demand for innovation. Founded in 1877, RISD (pronounced “RIZ-dee”) and the RISD Museum of Art help make Providence, RI among the most culturally active and creative cities in the region. For more information, visit risd.edu or our.risd.edu.