MassArt Fashion Design Showcase 2021
BREAKTHROUGH
FASHION DESIGN BFA STUDENTS
“None of us really knew what to expect for our last year as an undergraduate attending MassArt. Remote was foreign to all of us and apprehension was apparent during those first few months. Strange is an understatement when it comes to describing how the learning process started. We were apart from our peers and friends, we were apart from our familiar studio spaces, and all of a sudden we were looking at computer screens. It was difficult staying focused in class and sticking to a schedule, and not being able to easily get a second opinion on a garment or certain technique was trying as well. Reviews were odd, continuing virtually and not having the faculty really view our garments sort of dimmed the importance of the end of the first semester. However, with the first half of the year under our belts it felt as though we all found our second wind to see it through to the end. The surreal feeling started to kick in when we all attended the photoshoot. Seeing everyone with their collections helped to bring the excitement back into what we’d just spent months creating. This year's senior class, as well as last year's alumni, should be very proud for striving toward and completing collections derived from our vibrant imaginations despite drastic change. We made the most of it and we’ve all gained a tremendous amount of resilience throughout this journey and we’ll truly never forget.” – Renee Bucchio
ALLEGRA GIDDINGS / Out of Body / allegragiddings@gmail.com
The Surreal, Out-of-Body experience and the Real, Embodied experience live in harmony.
ANGEL AWELE OKEIBUNOR / Death and Rebirth / aaokeibunor@gmail.com / @awele.o
The exploration of the presentation of identity in the many forms it may take for one individual, inspired by the Yoruba goddess, Oya. Inspiration is drawn from Oya in the way she chooses to express her own identity while subverting what might be expected of her title. It challenges the need to “look the part” in favor of expressing one's own identity in the way they deem appropriate for themselves and not for the expectations of others.
BOBBI COLBURN / The Revolution Is Live / bobbicolburn96@gmail.com / @bobbi.colburn @boobco
The Revolution Is Live is an homage to the Black revolutionaries that marched before us. It is to center the movement of the present while looking to the activists of the past for inspiration and guidance.
CALLIE O’CONNELL / Pas de Deux / callieroseoconnell@gmail.com / @callieoconnell13
Pas de Deux is based on the combination of dressage and ballet. The horses “dance” similarly to a ballerina. My collection highlights these similarities and also brings the unique elements of each sport together. From the elegance of the dancer to the lightness of a strong horse, they both embody power and grace.
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CAROLINE SEELEY / Do You Know Your Enemy? / carolineinthecities@gmail.com / @blue.by.design
With global warming conditions worsening and unruly humans wreaking havoc on the world’s oceans, Poseidon creates a team of highly-skilled, vigilante protectors of the ocean to get ahead of the problems the undersea world is facing and maybe exact some revenge against the evil-doers along the way.
Do you know your enemy?
CHERRI LIN / Habitat / cherri.lin99@gmail.com / @clin99
This is a statement bridal collection that expresses the importance of coral reefs. Coral reefs play an important role in the ocean ecosystem, and human health. Unfortunately, due to global warming, many coral reefs are dying and disappearing. It is our responsibility to protect what mother nature gave us unconditionally. Therefore, I want my dresses to show the beauty of coral reefs, and how they are able to grow in unique areas to create a whole ecosystem.
CORINE SHANNON / Judgment and Virtue / corine.e.shannon@gmail.com / @pinkndrowdy
This conceptual collection is an examination of shared values across several different cultures and timelines to find the common goal of enlightenment and self-realization. I believe all of our identities start with the human condition.
ELIZABETH DAVIS / libbydavis2@aol.com / @queen.e.lizabeth
Radiate was inspired by nature and femininity. Each garment borrows from different aspects of nature ranging from sunsets to flowers. Within each garment there are hand details embroidering myself into the fabrics of every look.
EMMA MORGAN / Harmonie / emmajanehubert@gmail.com / @emmamorgan.designs
Harmonie is a collection inspired by the LGBTQ+ cabaret community in mid 20th century Paris, France. The cabaret became a chosen family, a community for people who were considered outcasts of society because of either their gender, sexuality, or race. Inspired by multiple performers, this collection honors and reminds us of these artists and the community of love and acceptance they found with each other.
ERNIE JUBIN / The Journey of Solo Jubin / Erniejubin@gmail.com / @SoloJubin
My collection is a bold and energetic fusion of both my Ghana heritage and my life as an American.
GEORDAN HADDAD / Loose Knit / grh.haddad@gmail.com / @peepeeheepee
This collection’s primary goal is to capture experiences from family life and childhood, specifically the bittersweet and nostalgic. The way it goes about doing so is through familiar materials imbued with character and emotion felt only in distant memories. My first memories of meeting my grandmother, not knowing exactly what to feel as she kisses my cheek with lips that feel almost sharp, but that I should love her, if not now then eventually. Not only is this collection an exploration of my personal past, or even a collective memory, but it is also more broadly one of warmth and cold and the ways in which they tend to interact.
GUNES JIA HUI WONG / Mother of Earth / gunesgrenon113@gmail.com / @caughtmethinking
In Greek mythology, Naiads are a type of female spirit presiding over fountains, spring and other bodies of freshwater. The word 海 in Chinese calligraphy represents that water is the mother of earth, just like the ancient Greeks thought of the world's waters as all one system which percolated in from the sea deep within the earth.
HANNAH WHRITENOUR / Sanctum Everglade / hjw9298@gmail.com / @irismoon_fashion
Sanctum Everglade is based off of a nature preserve I've been taking walks at for five years now. I am taking inspiration from the feelings I get when I'm there, including the foliage, natural colors, textures, and the delicateness of the greenery.
HOLLY MCGRATH / Reflections / hollymcgrath4@gmail.com / @hollymcgrathdesigns
Reflections tells a story of different bodies of water moving throughout the seasons. Similar to how water holds its reflection of what is around it, humans are reflections of their own surroundings. In this collection I repurpose lace samples my great grandmother made into bridal wear, taking something old and distorting it to become something new.
ISABELLA DECOLA / Hyper Feminine / belladecola7@gmail.com / @bella.rae.design
Hyper Feminine is my collection that embraces femininity in everyday style. Streetwear made for the woman who wants to stand out like Barbie while feeling confident and fun. While details like lace, ruffles, and pastels are the big picture, an important detail of the collection is the series of hot pink vinyl corsets to go with each look. Hyper Feminine encourages women to step outside of their box and not fear being bold and bright.
JACKIE MONES / Phantasia / jacquemones@gmail.com / @jackofcardss
I asked my mom: What’s your favorite flower? She then Replied: Orchids. Then that made me remember when I was young I used to help my mom with her gardening and I remember we had a lot of different plants like orchids, cacti, random mushrooms and so much more and I believe that was the start of me liking things that bloom with full colors and textures. Phantasia is a Time Capsule of that Era of my life. Re-imagining the memories of a child with her mom in a garden that blooms. Transforming memories to a full bloom of ethereal wearable art.
JC JACKY HANG / Disjointed / jchang3040@gmail.com / @theawk_master
Disjointed explains the psychological breakdown in humans, how psychology affects the way we wear clothing when dealing with trauma and stress while maintaining day to day life as a functioning human being. The collection explains the detachment to the human world from our inner thoughts and how it's viewed by outsiders.
JENNA BAGINSKI / ReCollection / jennabaginski@gmail.com / @jennabaginski_design
ReCollection was inspired by the houses I spent the most time in growing up. This collection is based on structural architecture and recalling memories of times past.
JENNIFER WOLF / The Butterfly Effect / @jennifervwolf
The Butterfly Effect collection is inspired by the butterfly effect scientific theory and the song by Travis Scott. I am creating an experience that reflects meanings I took away from The Butterfly Effect and I do this by representing different bodies, using multiple techniques, layering garments, and by giving off an industrial urban aesthetic.
JOANNA KEEFE / Landscape of the Soul / joannaekeefe@gmail.com / @jaekeefe
Inspired by portraiture art, this collection shows hand-painted and hand-beaded pieces based on the human condition. Ambitions, emotions, conflicts- all a connecting human experience. My collection takes you on a journey from our outside appearances into our inside appearances. Celebrating our individual uniqueness and also our connection as human beings.
JULIA BORGES / Origins of Love / julesstudiocreations@gmail.com / @julesdesigner
My thesis collection consists of the main costumes from a ballet of my own creation. The story of the ballet follows five goddesses whose personalities, colors, and domains are based on different stones and their healing and spiritual properties. The ballet follows Rose, a newly born goddess on her journey of self discovery. As this naive protagonist grows and learns, she is eventually given her identity as Rose (Quartz) the Goddess of Love and Fertility, and her costume reflects this change. My focus in costuming this show is on the final looks in the show for each of the goddesses.
KIARA JORDAYN BREWSTER / Reconstruct and Reprogram / Kayjordayn@gmail.com
Reconstruct and Reprogram is a demonstration of the black culture as I seek to explore pieces of our history and appreciate our unwavering perseverance towards freedom. Society often puts constraints on the black community and because of this, I have created a positive statement that exemplifies strength and inspiration unified in the beauty and natural glow of the skin.
KRYSSA MITCHELL / Burning Up / kryssa999@gmail.com / @kryssa_designs
My collection is inspired by the current state our world is in and the effects of global warming. With recent events like the California and Australian Bushfires, I aim to show the harsh realities of these tragedies to promote change.
LEANNA MARDEN / Romanticism Revived / leannajm98@gmail.com / @leannajm
My collection takes inspiration from the Romantic era and focuses on design details from the 1820s-1830s. I have incorporated these aspects into a modern women's daywear collection, which emphasizes the Romantic values of individuality and connection to nature.
LEXI ALEXANDRA LOWRIE / Don't Panic It’s Organic / @lexlo_brand
My collection is centered around the idea of a world where fashion is fully compostable. Don't Panic It’s Organic is a knitwear and bio-materials collection bringing fashion into a sustainable future.
MIKAILA WILBUR / Death Walks on Broken Glass / Mikailaaw@gmail.com / @Mikaila.Designs
Italian Giallo blends with classical ballet creating an emotional, gorey, and dramatic performance.
MUSTY TYRONE SMITH / The New Regime / smithtyrone9@gmail.com / @mustycorp
My work is an exploration of self identity and understanding of the interactions within the world around me. It is a coming of age story for myself to analyze and others to interpret and communicate with. The New Regime is an analysis of systemic racism ingrained within our system of government and governments across the world. By taking the context of the word “regime” and changing the connotation, I created a system of government that oppresses the oppressive and solidifies the oppressive as antagonistic. The system celebrates and defends the oppressed rather than a regime that traditionally has the oppressors within power. This is a collection of military uniforms for the aforementioned “New Regime” influenced by Dutch workwear and Japanese silhouettes.
OLIVIA MCHUGH / Peacefully Optimistic / oliviamchugh22@gmail.com / @oliviamchugh.designs
Peacefully Optimistic is a collection centered around emotions. How someone's mood and emotions can completely change an environment. I made sure to create these garments in a positive headspace in hopes that would shine through in my garments.
PRISCILLA ANJURTHE / Lowkey / panjurthe@gmail.com / @rainycilla
Lowkey is a collection that takes inspiration from businesswear and taking that to a whole other level, with harnesses and metal hardware. It can go from just any day businesswear to something more edgy.
PUNINGY RUI YANG / Relative Parallel / puningyyang@gmail.com / @puningyyang
Inspired by the books "A Brief History of Time" and "Relativity: the special and the general theory" and by the trending topic of plastic surgery. I love to incorporate scientific perspectives into a conceptual design, thus expanding the horizon of the art field and bringing more individuals' attention to the fact that art and advanced scientific concepts can be integrated.
QING LI / Become An Adult Who Believes Elephants Can Fly / qingliabc@gmail.com / @qingliabc
The one who believes in magic, believes in tales, and believes in all possibilities has grown up and lost all these beautiful things. However, no matter how old we are, please don't forget that we were all children. Open the children's book, wake up the inner child, and become an adult who believes that elephants can fly.
RENEE BUCCHIO / Day Dream / rbucchio@gmail.com / @renee_bucchio @reneejbucchio
Day Dream is based on the idea of escapism and falling asleep to break out of our reality while dreaming in freedom. The collection starts in a state of falling asleep in an oppressed world and gradually flows through stages of the transition into the dreamworld and achieving autonomy with the realization of where you are.
RIANA BASTIEN / Spot Light / @shop.ririz
Spotlight is created for artists and performers who embrace being able to wear something that is comfortable but sexy. The biggest aspects of Spotlight are the color, shape and lines used in each design. Each piece in this collection has a unique personality of its own, and each piece shows off the body of the wearer. With some rhinestone elements, the looks are able to be seen shining on stage.
SABRINA KANE / The Gardener / sabrik2608@gmail.com / @sabrinakane_arts
My collection is inspired by reconnecting with nature, and "creating from the Earth." I celebrate handcraft through the use of eco-printing, natural dyes, and embroidery to portray the journey from gardener, to seedling, to full bloom.
SAMANTHA GUIDRY / Five Years / sam040551@gmail.com / @sam.m.guidry
Five Years isn’t only a story of character change but rather the story of inspirations and emotions that drove David Bowie to become the icon he was. From David Jones watching 2001: A Space Odyssey while under the influence blossoming into a story of Major Tom to Bowie being cast as a major lead in The Man Who Fell to Earth drawing a parallel to who he was with the Thin White Duke, it took Bowie five years from his rise to stardom as Ziggy Stardust to kill his alter egos in order to save himself.
SHIRLEY INOCENTE / Mwen Reve Ou Te La (I dreamt you were here) / shirleyinocente@gmail.com / @ShirleySaidSew @ShirleyInocente
Even through loss, we are always connected to those we love. Yarn was a large factor in the design process as it is one long continuous intertwined fiber. Like intertwining yarn, we are always and continually connected to the ones we love.
SUHEILY MARIE AQUINO RIVERA / Light My Way / suzitaaquino@gmail.com / @suheilyaquinorivera
Light My Way is inspired by the strength and power of our everyday working woman. It was formed with the life and existence in literature about a fairy's aura life and existence. Frail looking, silent but deadly... Powerful. The effect of light and the use of reflective fabric is complemented by metallic embellishments that change with the touch of light that is used throughout the garments. In the line Light My Way, the opposite of soft material and structured material is always used to play with the image of a fairy and her armor and lightness. Light My Way thinks about security, safety, beauty, light, and armor empowering that strong independent woman walking home alone at night that may need to protect herself.
VIC LAPIDAS / The Arctic Pinnacle / victorlapidas@gmail.com
Throughout my collection, I draw tones and textures heavily inspired by my time hiking and exploring. “The Arctic Pinnacle” focuses on functional outerwear that can be worn in everyday environments.
YITONG LIU / WORKING FROM BED / yitong.liu1112@gmail.com / @yitong.l.iu
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused large shifts in people’s daily lives and each person has had to discover a new way to operate. I developed the theme of this collection around my own interpretation and experience of the “work from home” environment.