Fashion, in the popular imagination, is a world of trends. What’s in? What’s out? Who’s hot right now?
But for emerging designers, the real search is for authenticity, said Mary Ruppert-Stroescu, an associate professor and head of fashion design in the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis.
“Designers have always tried to create distinctive aesthetics,” Ruppert-Stroescu said. “But fashion is becoming more and more personal. Today, young designers are reaching even deeper, drawing on their identities, their heritages, their cultures, their spirituality. It’s about personal expression and connecting on an individual level.”
On April 26, the Sam Fox School will present “Voilà,” its 96th Annual Fashion Design Show, in WashU’s historic Holmes Lounge. One of the oldest such events in the nation, the evening will feature dozens of models wearing scores of outfits, with a particular focus on capstone collections by graduating fashion design majors.
“Fashion is about creating desire,” Ruppert-Stroescu said. “But to want something, you have to be able to relate to it in a meaningful way. It’s about instinct and the surprise that happens when form follows feeling.”
On the runway
Voilà’s” opening scene, “Emerge,” reveals the Introduction to Fashion Design student’s first original design at WashU. “These denim jackets were made with materials sourced from St. Louis manufacturer Carr Textiles,” Ruppert-Stroescu said, “and reveal “each designer’s newfound voice in fashion.”
In the next scene, “Strata,” fabric becomes narrative with original digital prints on the theme “Culture: my social group,” constructed into shirts and shorts. In “Imprévu,” designers reveal a series of avant-garde looks created as part an experimental design class taught by lecturer Laura Desch.
The show will continue with outfits created for the class “Textile Technology for Health and Well-Being,” which tailors clothing to the needs of clients with specific health conditions. “Each student interviewed five people, analyzed data, developed design criteria, made prototypes and then worked with an individual fit model,” Ruppert-Stroescu said. “It’s a true meeting of fashion, function and user-centered design.”
Scenes titled “Muse,” “Equinox” and “Crescendo” mark a shift to the senior BFA capstone collections. Based on months of research, each designer employs a distinctive visual vocabulary and reflects a rigorous process of research, development, ideation and prototyping. Senior lecturer Jennifer Ingram scaffolded the designers through the process of turning their sketches into 3D objects.
Through her collection “Venus in Chrome,” Indigo Amunategui argues that beauty standards don’t just happen, but are in fact a product of design, as intentional as cars or buildings. “Has the standard ever been achievable? Not really,” Amunategui wrote in her designer’s statement. “Venus in Chrome,” with its mechanical forms and glossy finishes, “provides a semi-ironic solution to the artificial beauty standard that we love to hate.”
Balancing enhanced pastel colors, fluid shapes and floral allusions, Emily Carlin’s spring-themed collection “Reverie” is warm, bright and unabashedly joyful. “’Reverie’ calls upon beauty and romanticism, drawing inspiration from my personal interest in nature, historical art and femininity,” Carlin explained. “This collection captures positive emotions, achievable perfections and moments of human connection.”
Brooke Cowan’s “DayMoon” is tailored to “the eccentric soul, satisfying a search for beautiful, one-of-a-kind objects that allow customers to reconnect with their clothing and its origins.” In an era of mass production, “DayMoon,” with its high-quality materials, pure lines, custom metal hardware and hand-made leather accents, showcases “the craftsmanship behind garments, focusing on sparking joy through material and process.”
“Open Heart,” by Maggie Maichel, aims to pierce the masks that too often hide our authentic selves, “conveying the message that true strength often arises from vulnerability.” Embracing sustainability through natural fibers and materials, these garments are “designed for longevity, ensuring it becomes a timeless staple in any wardrobe.”
Merging Vietnamese and Western elements, Vivian Nguyen’s “Intertwined” is inspired by the Red String of Fate, an East Asian folk belief symbolizing the power of relationships. “When I was younger, my mother often wore traditional Vietnamese garments (ao dai) adorned with meticulous embroidery,” Nguyen remembered. With its striking brocades and string manipulations, “Intertwined” serves as a “symbolic representation of connection.”
Julia Yuan’s dramatic “Infinity” collection blends rounded shapes, cinched waists and flared skirts with traditional Chinese elements, including water sleeves, mandarin collars and intricate embroidery. The aim, Yuan said, is to “explore the origin of our souls, our past lives and future lives, and the stages we must go through during a lifetime.”
Sponsors and awards
The Fashion Design Show is coordinated by Ruppert-Stroescu and produced by her “Fashion Promotion and Exhibition” class. All clothing featured was sewn on Baby Lock sewing machines, manufactured by St. Louis-based Tacony Corp., also a generous sponsor of the show.
Mother Model Management sponsored show models. Additional sponsors include the Saint Louis Fashion Fund, Dominic Michael Salon, the Hurley Co. Salon and Lux & Nix.
The evening also will feature several departmental awards, including:
- The Dominic Michael Silver Scissors Designer of the Year Award. Sponsored by the Dominic Michael Salon for more than two decades, the award is presented to the senior fashion design student who has shown compelling creativity and exceptional skill in fashion design conception and execution.
- The Most Marketable Collection, which recognizes a senior fashion design student whose collection is deemed most marketable. After the show, work from all six senior collections will be on display at Neiman Marcus Frontenac.
- The Stars Design Group Award, which grants mentorship and studio space in the Couture Culture incubator to a student whose collection demonstrates high business potential.
- The Susan Sanders Block Silver Ripper Award, sponsored by alumna Susan Sanders Block, is presented to the sophomore or junior fashion design student who has demonstrated the most growth.
- The Riverbend Textiles Sustainable Design Leadership Award, which recognizes exceptional thought and practice toward sustainable fashion design.
- The Galore Atelier Excellence in Textile Surface Design Award for the textile design that demonstrates excellence in craft, aesthetics and creativity. All students are eligible.
- The Fashion Citizenship Award, sponsored by Ruppert-Stroescu and presented to an outstanding second-year fashion design major who demonstrates good citizenship and community engagement.
Tickets
The 96th Annual Washington University Fashion Design Show will begin at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 26, in WashU’s Holmes Lounge, located in Ridgley Hall. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. A meet-and-greet with the designers will immediately follow the show, in Holmes Lounge.
General admission tickets are all reserved. To sign up for the fashion show livestream, visit samfoxschool.washu.edu.
