At the pinnacle of their academic careers, 13 University of Minnesota apparel design seniors focused on the notion of joy and celebration.
With this in mind comes REVEL, a final showcase hosted by The College of Design on Saturday. At the show, the students will exhibit a collection of their own design and construction.
Each young designer paired their personal fashion aesthetics with techniques taught in class to produce a full line of garments.
The show is a culmination of an entire semester’s worth of work. Each student planned, sketched and sewed their clothes during fall semester of their senior year. The collections represent a variety of genres of fashion and range from avant-garde to ready-to-wear looks. A&E talked to a handful of the designers, who shared their stories and inspirations for the show.
Finding inspiration
One designer, Anna Peshock, sourced her inspiration to her study abroad trip when she spent a semester at sea.
“I had the opportunity to go to 16 different countries, and I was in Europe, Africa and South America; I got to go to Cuba. Throughout my whole trip I took pictures and bought fabrics, so a lot of my fabrics are from abroad,” Peshock said.
Each of her five looks chronicles a different country she visited. The tastes of culture and people developed into a line of avant-garde swimwear. As a swimmer, Peshock touches on personal experiences and emotions with each look.
“I was a synchronized swimmer for 13 years, and made a lot of my own suits for competitions. I like to take things off of my experiences that have an emotional connection so you can really experience the piece, and it’s more than just something to look at,” Peshock said.
Katie Mackereth’s apparel took inspiration from nature.
“My line is a winter resort-wear line. It was inspired by the outdoors; I’m outside all the time,” she said. “This summer I worked for Polaris, and that gave me inspiration.”
Mackereth challenged herself the most with her finale jacket, a draped asymmetrical piece. Her collection includes a vest, a shawl and a jacket that serve as winter resort wear constructed from wool and knits.
Tess Ross’s designs exude a fusion of power and femininity.
“My designs are inspired by the 1750s, Marie Antoinette, pre-French Revolution. Strong women are a part of my aesthetic and who I am as a person. A lot of the time, women are relegated to being accessories of the world, and it really bums me out because I know they are worth so much more than that,” Ross said.
Ross created an ornate, baroque design to every look by applying a laser-cut appliqué or stenciling it onto the fabric with paint. The recurring pattern creates cohesiveness without having to repeat colors, fabrics or silhouettes.
Lauren Kacher opted for fierce leather pieces, suitable for edgy musicians.
“My line is unisex. The target market would be this fake rock and roll band, so I utilize a lot of black and leather,” she said.
Kacher created detailed work by incorporating metal studs and crystalline structures that she left exposed or molded leather on top of. Each look is dynamic, as well as gender-neutral.
“I have been working five years for this … it is a culmination of everything we have worked for and everything we have learned. It’s just a really exciting time to show our friends and our family and the community how hard we have worked for this. It’s bigger than graduation,” Peshock said.
What: REVEL Design Fashion Show Exhibition
When: 5:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Saturday
Where: Rapson Hall, 89 Church St. SE
Cost: $55 VIP, $25 floor seating, $12 balcony standing, $8 student balcony standing
