This Wednesday, April 27 at 7 p.m. in Talley Student Union’s Stewart Theatre, the highly anticipated student-run fashion show, Art2Wear will take place. With preparation starting back in October, the efforts of 10 student designers will be showcased.
Hosted each year by the College of Design, Art2Wear is a chance for students to gain experience designing, creating, and celebrating wearable art. The event challenges students to think creatively and defy boundaries in response to a given theme.
This year’s theme “Dissonance” prompted designers to make collections centered around the disharmony of two or more conflicting elements. The designers’ responses to this theme burst with creativity and innovation.
Chiana Royal, a second-year studying fashion design, based her collection “Eris” on the complexity of how women are portrayed throughout history. Her designs feature bold, clashing colors and are largely inspired by surrealism in art. Royal’s involvement in Art2Wear began her freshman year when she designed her first collection. This year will be her first in-person runway show; Art2Wear was held virtually last year.
“I’m just really excited to see how this will elevate the entire thing in terms of the designs and how they will be showcased,” Royal said.
Similar to Royal, Leah Hauser, a fourth-year studying art and design with a concentration in fibers and soft construction, got her first taste of Art2Wear during her first year at NC State when she participated in the reusable paper project, a challenge where freshmen create a wearable piece entirely from paper. This year, Hauser will debut her collection “Placebo,” which makes a statement on the experience of having high-functioning depression and the complex influence of antidepressants.
Art2Wear directors also reached out to students who were not able to participate in the main show to make stand-alone looks with fabric that was donated to the College of Design by Under Armour. These looks will be featured Wednesday in addition to the main show.
Although Art2Wear is the largest student-run fashion show in the Southeast, many of this year’s designers are entirely new to garment making.
Miranda Green, a fourth-year in design studies with a minor in history, said crafting designs for Art2Wear was her first time making clothing. Her collection, titled “Technology as Armour,” focuses on the dichotomy between who we are online vs. in real life.
Art2Wear has also introduced Owen Snape, a second-year studying industrial design, to garment making. About a year ago, Snape started a small brand where he printed designs on T-shirts. Realizing that he craved more hands-on garment creation, he applied to Art2Wear in October. His collection “Patched” is made entirely from reused clothing, commemorating his passion for thrifting and sustainability.
Along with a few of the Art2Wear designers, Snape has used his experiences in a studio class taught by Professor Adrienne McKenzie to enhance his collection. This course, offered each spring, introduces students to fiber techniques and gives them a chance to come up with their own collection, which many use for Art2Wear.
Overall, Art2Wear gives students a platform to fully express their creativity. It aims to inspire not only designers, but anyone who attends, no matter their prior connection to art and fashion.
Nicole Shooman, a second-year studying fashion and textile design, had always loved art and design, but it wasn’t until college that she solidified an interest in fashion. Art2Wear has given her a chance to explore this interest.
“Art2Wear is a fantastic organization because they just take everything extremely seriously,” Shooman said. “It makes me feel very important and it makes me feel almost professional even though I am just a student designer.”
Shooman will present her collection “SEX,” which juxtaposes the concepts of feminine and masculine forms.
For Emma Anderson, a third-year in art and design, Art2Wear was the reason she decided to pursue a career in design. When she was just 14 years old, she attended Art2Wear and was blown away by what she saw. Her collection “Axiom” explores cognitive dissonance and features a repeated triangle motif along with dramatic silhouettes.
“It’s a dream, it’s such a dream,” Anderson said. “I get to work with such incredibly talented people. I think that’s been the most exciting part is that I come into the studio and everybody’s doing these really spectacular things. I think definitely the culture is the biggest joy in it for sure.”
Tickets for Art2Wear can be purchased online. For more information about the event and this year’s designers, see the Art2Wear website or follow their Instagram.
