2023 Drexel Fashion Program Book

DREXEL FASHION

FASHION DESIGN CLASS OF

BOLD. BRIGHT. BROAD. UNLEASHING THE ART OF DREXEL FASHION

A

Message From Dean Jason Schupbach

It is my pleasure to welcome you to Drexel Fashion 2023! The Fashion Show is one of our most highlyanticipated annual events, and this year, it’s especially exciting to be debuting the work of our Fashion Design students in such an iconic location. The designers showcased tonight are creative, forwardthinking, and savvy future leaders in the fashion industry. I can’t wait for you to see the innovative garments, accessories, and textiles they’ve been working so hard to produce.

The Fashion Design programs at Drexel’s Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design are unique for their emphasis on advanced technologies in design, transdisciplinary collaboration, and ethical fashion. In fact, many of the designs you’ll see tonight are produced using recycled fabrics, zero-waste patterning, and even biodegradable materials. The designers have applied advanced technologies like CLO 3D fashion design software and Shima Seiki computerized knitting machines, while incorporating timetested techniques from tailoring to hand-dying, couture production to embroidery. Tonight, you’ll see garments inspired by individual cultural experiences, fantasy, natural elements, reimagination of textile products and more. Exploring where fashion intersects with art, culture, aging, gender, and lifestyle, these collections are an exuberant expression of possibility. This class of designers are unleashing the art of fashion – and I’m so glad you’re here to see it!

Congratulations to our student designers, and to the faculty, staff and sponsors who made this event possible!

Enjoy the show!

Lara Deboy ‘23

Paul Miller ‘24

Genevieve van Lent ‘23

PHOTO/ DESIGNER

A Message From The Drexel Fashion Faculty

We are pleased to present the 2023 Graduate and Senior Collections. On behalf of the Fashion Design Faculty, we are elated to celebrate students’ collections and their focus on craft, couture techniques, handwork, inclusive and sustainable design.

The collections walking the runway tonight, and the student designers have been on an incredible journey over the last four years. The design concepts are meditations on art and design born from the wistful creativity of new students, cultivated during the challenges of a global pandemic, and perfected through a time of relearning. Tonight, each collection presented is a sample of the immense talent and artistic ability that will carry the students far into their careers.

We wish the students and faculty a successful show and welcome our esteemed guests. We are proud to introduce the class of 2023, congratulations!

Alexandra Howell Abolo, PhD Program Director, Undergraduate

Jacqueline Kilmartin Program Director, Graduate

This class of designers are unleashing the art of fashion – and I’m so glad you’re here to see it!

- Dean Jason Schupbach

FASHION DESIGN FACULTY AND STAFF

DEPARTMENT HEAD, DESIGN

Ann Gerondelis

PROGRAM DIRECTOR, UNDERGRADUATE

Alexandra Howell-Abolo, PhD

ASSOCIATE PROGRAM DIRECTOR, UNDERGRADUATE

Cynthia Golembuski, MS ‘91

PROGRAM DIRECTOR, GRADUATE

Jacqueline Kilmartin

DEPARTMENT ADMINISTRATOR

Adelina DiLemmo

ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR

Saleesha Sin, BS ‘19

FACULTY

Lucy Butler, BS ‘10

Danielle Claassen, MS ‘14

Kristine Go

Elizabeth Goldberg-Johnson

Twyla Grider

Jordan Haddad

Lisa Hayes

Jaeyoon Jeong, MS ‘08

Adrienne Manno, BS ‘03

Kathleen Martin

Katie Sabo

Ornella Santoni, MS ‘16

Clare Sauro

Rachel Skyman

Domenica Vinci

Hyun-Ah Kim, BS ‘94

Terina Hill

JAZMINE BROWN

Planning to attend graduate school to study zero waste patternmaking, design, and innovative textiles

RENEE CASE

I hope to work with small businesses to assist in patternmaking and construction

TOBEE CHALUPA VALENTINA CHAVIANO

Pursue a job in the industry Traveling Europe

LARA DEBOY PHILOMENA FOSTER

Pursuing a job in Fashion Design and Illustration

JESS HOLMES

I will be working in Philadelphia as a designer!

I plan to pursue a masters in fashion business in hopes to eventually work in the New York and/or French fashion industry

MARINA KHAZANA

Committed to Jefferson for my Masters Program in International Management of the Business of Fashion

FEATURED

DESIGNERS

ASHLEY KUNKEL ANAIS LORA

Continue work on film and television sets as a costumer/wardrober

Bring knowledge back into my own communities, continue a journey using my skills to advance my career, & push forward values of sustainability, inclusively & transparency

BRENDEN MARTINEZ CATHARINE MCMAHON

I plan to move to a different state and purse a career in leather goods and tailoring

LUCY NEWMAN

Find work hopefully using CLO3D to further sustainable fashion

EMMA PETERSEN

I plan to continue to work in sustainable fashion design

To take a gap year and travel with my twin sister!

Open an online boutique, work in New York, and Grad School

Pursue a job in the industry

SARINA PETIT

SHEASHA PATEL

CARLA PIERINI

Transform waste into yarns, yarns into textiles, textiles into garments and garment back into yarns

FIONA QU

Travel around the world and get inspirations for grad school application

NATALIA QUINONES MARK SANTIAGO

taking opportunities to build on my portfolio and gain experience in the fashion world, and hope to travel

Move to New York City to pursue a career in Fashion Design

MIRA STETSON GENEVIEVE VAN LENT

Travel, work in New York, or go work on a farm in Madagascar

ISABELA WILSON

Work in an art museum or historic costume collection

Move to Los Angeles and work as a Stylist and Creative Director

LEAH WINKLER

Start a career in the fashion industry focusing on plus size fashion

FEATURED

DESIGNERS

ALINA WOLFENSON

JULIA ZOTTO

I plan to continue working on personal projects and designs as I continue to immerse myself into the industry

ILLUSTRATION

ILLUSTRATION

Beibei Wu ‘23

Caroline Brown, MS ‘23

Yashu Zeng, MS ‘23

GRADUATE DESIGNERS

PETER ADAMS SEHLAH AHMAD

GRADUATE DESIGNER

Hoping to work in costume productions for theater or in the textile collection of a museum

GRADUATE DESIGNER

Continue to create spaces for Muslim women in the fashion world

CAROLINE BROWN EVA LIU

GRADUATE DESIGNER

Start my own line, Caroline Leary

GRADUATE DESIGNER

Pursue my career in fashion design

KATY MCCLURE NINA SAJANKILA

GRADUATE DESIGNER

I will be starting work full-time at Abercrombie & Fitch as an Assistant Technical Designer in their Leadership Development Program in July

GRADUATE DESIGNER

I plan to continue to expand my skillset in patternmaking, tailoring, construction, and handwork.

BEIBEI WU YASHU ZENG

GRADUATE DESIGNER

Post-graduate studies in textile and fashion design and perhaps being a responsible teacher in fashion design field just like my professors!

GRADUATE DESIGNER

Trying to stay in the USA and pursue a degree in the knitwear and textile design

FASHION AWARDS

OVERALL

Best Fashion Illustration Award

Boyds Best in Menswear or Womensware Award

The Joan Calabrese Memorial Award for Fashion Design

The Do-Gooders Fashion Excellence Award

Mary Dougherty Award for Surface Techniques

Mary Dougherty Award for Sustainable Design

Carole Hochman Lifestyle Award for Most Innovative Casual Wear

Louise Piazza Fashion Technology Award

Stephanie Schaich Bricken Award for Excellence in Wovens

Stephanie Schaich Bricken Award for Excellence in Knitwear

Joan Shepp Award for Excellence in Craftsmanship and Design

John Wind Award for Excellence in Accessories

UNDERGRADUATE

The Evelyn Bender Netsky Memorial Fashion Award for Sustainable Practices

The Evelyn Bender Netsky Memorial Fashion Award for Social and Cultural Responsibility

Delores Quinn Highest Commendation in Design Award

Nancy Volpe Beringer Award for Eveningwear

GRADUATE

The Evelyn Bender Netsky Memorial Fashion Award for Sustainable Practices

The Evelyn Bender Netsky Memorial Fashion Award for Social and Cultural Responsibility

Delores Quinn Highest Commendation in Design Award

Nancy Volpe Beringer Award for Eveningwear

2023 DREXEL FASHION SHOW

PART ONE FABSCRAP

PART TWO SENIOR & GRADUATE COLLECTIONS

BOLD. BRIGHT. BROAD. UNLEASHING THE ART OF DREXEL FASHION

Megan Kyte ‘24/

PHOTO/ DESIGNER

FABSCRAP

IN THIS COLLABORATIVE PROJECT, STUDENTS ARE CHALLENGED WITH ADDRESSING TEXTILE WASTE IN OUR INDUSTRY. EACH STUDENT RECEIVES 8-YARDS OF DEADSTOCK FABRIC FROM FABSCRAP. THERE ARE 5 DIFFERENT FABRICS RANGING FROM PRINTS TO LEFTOVER COAT LININGS IN 2 SOLID COLORS. STUDENTS EMPLOY A VARIETY OF TEXTILE MANIPULATION TECHNIQUES AND ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR WORKING WITH A ZERO-WASTE DESIGN PHILOSOPHY TO CREATE THEIR LOOK. AFTER MAKING SAMPLES OF THEIR PROCESS, THEY MOVE TO DRAPING THEIR LOOKS IN FULL SCALE. FINAL GARMENTS ARE FIT AND FINISHED USING ALL OF THE FABRIC LEAVING LITTLE OR NOTHING TO ENTER THE WASTE STREAM. THESE METHODS CAN BE SCALED TO REPRODUCE THE LOOKS IN OTHER FABRICS OR ADDITIONAL PIECES IN A FUTURE COLLECTION. THE LOOKS CAN BE CREATED IN ADDITIONAL SIZES WITH THE SAME METHOD OF ZERO-WASTE. THESE BEAUTIFUL “EVENING” LOOKS ARE EXAMPLES OF ZERO WASTE, INCLUSIVE DESIGN AND SLOW FASHION.

PART ONE FABULOUS FABSCAP

Look 1 Julia Zotto

Look 2 Yashu Zeng

Look 3 Leah Winkler

Look 4 Catharine McMahon

Look 5 Natalia Quinones

Look 6 Jazmine Brown

Look 7 Sheasha Patel

Look 8 Tobee Chalupa

Look 9 Emma Petersen

Look 10 Isabela Wilson

Look 11 Beibei Wu

Look 12 Renee Case

Look 13 Alina Wolfenson

Look 14 Mira Stetson

Look 15 Marina Khazana

PART TWO RECYCLE, REPURPOSE, REDESIGN

Look 1 Jess Holmes

Look 2 Eva Liu

Look 3 Carla Pierini

Look 4 Mark Santiago

Look 5 Caroline Brown

Look 6 Lucy Newman

Look 7 Sarina Petit

Look 8 Fiona Qu

Look 9 Philomena Foster

Look 10 Lara DeBoy

Look 11 Valentina Chaviano

Look 12 Katy McClure

Look 13 Nina Sajankila

Dot Boshium ‘24/ Julia Zotto ‘24

PHOTO/ DESIGNER

Paul Miller ‘24/

PHOTO/ DESIGNER

GRADUATE AND COLLECTIONS

AND SENIOR

The following collections are in order of appearance

Ella Herman ‘24/ Beibei Wu ‘23

PHOTO/ DESIGNER

Marina Khazana Blazero

“Blazero” is a collection inspired by the vibrant culture and bold spirit of Spain. The collection draws inspiration from the artistry of bullfighting and the passion of flamenco, resulting in a striking and dynamic aesthetic.

The silhouettes in “Blazero” are inspired by the flowing movements of a matador’s cape, with dramatic cape variations and sculptural tops. The color palette is rich and bold, with black, red, and gold dominating the collection. Textured fabrics add dimension and depth to the pieces, with the Spanish rose motif woven into each design. The collection features a mix of hard and soft elements, with elements of fur and leather paired with draping rich red fabric. Gold hardware adds a touch of luxury and sophistication, elevating the pieces into wearable art. The collection is designed to be mix and match, allowing each piece to be paired with different items for a versatile wardrobe.

Each piece in “Blazero” is designed to radiate confidence with each step. Whether it’s a dramatic cape or a flowing skirt, every piece is designed to make a statement and empower the wearer. With “Blazero,” you can channel the spirit of Spain and embrace your inner muse. Collection Keywords: Ready-to-wear, texture, stylized, embellishment sustainability

Jazmine Brown Provoke. Perceive. Consume.

This collection focuses on the sexuality and sensuality of women. Society has impacted how women view themselves with their bodies, either by objectifying, shaming, or judging them. I specifically noticed the hypocrisy of being hypersexualized while disgraced for having certain body features. Women deserve to have their autonomy back, to control what they wear and how they wish to portray their bodies. Therefore, I decided to establish a collection that celebrates sexiness within the female gaze and is not apologetic about showing off one’s body. The looks are heavily inspired by BDSM using leather, rope, and the colors black and red. Through that lens, my collection experiments with the concept of covering up and exposing skin with sheer chiffons and thick leather. I also wanted to highlight how women of any size can be sexy in their own right. Hence, the collection is size inclusive with readyto-wear pieces that can be worn together to increase one’s sex appeal or separately with clothes already in a person’s wardrobe. Lastly, the collection explores the sustainable nature of leather by including faux leather, deadstock faux leather, and vegan leather.

Collection Keywords: Womenswear, ready-to-wear, sustainable design, size inclusive

Isabela Wilson Amor Redemit

Amor Redemit is a women’s evening wear collection that takes inspiration from Renaissance art, specifically Botticelli’s La Primavera (The Spring), and the luxury, decadence, and regality of the era’s costume history. The Renaissance was a time of rediscovery and rebirth. Spring is also a time of rebirth: winter is thawing, and nature begins to bloom and grow. This collection is called Amor Redemit (Love Redeems) because redemptive love is one that constantly pursues and forgives, a constant rebirth of love. The goal of the collection is to create garments made with love for women to love themselves in. Using hand beading and heavy embellishment and taking inspiration from historical silhouettes and marrying them with contemporary elements, this collection is a perfect blend of the historical with the modern.

Peter Adams As Above, So Below

As Above, So Below is an eveningwear collection that acts as an examination of different mythological figures within an anachronistic historic context. Bringing the beliefs and ideas of different times and cultures to be inspired by the Late Victorian Age, while still maintaining the original representations’ ideas of power and beauty. The idea behind the use of satin finishes is to remind of the black gold that is oil, while the beading that is present on some items is to reference the jewels and gems that come from the earth. This idea has been the culmination of different ideas and worlds created by Peter.

Collection Keywords: Womenswear, evening Wear, historical Inspiration, embellishment

Collection Keywords: Womens’, eveningwear, historically inspired, beading

Ashley Kunkel Sororo Styiam

Drawing inspiration from the Film Noir Era, as well as the forms and shapes of German Expressionist Set Design, its stylistic predecessor, this Fall/Winter collection hopes to illustrate the innate juxtapositions within femininity. This ever-present dichotomy that exists within the female leads of Film Noir will be represented through the contrast between heavy textural fabrics and light sheer ones. And will be further demonstrated within the contrast of sharp lines against soft, feminine silhouettes.

Anais Lora Damas Cojuleos

Dating back to the 1500s, Carnaval de La Vega or Carnaval Vegano is the biggest, most vibrant carnival celebration in the Dominican Republic. Carnaval de la Vega’s theme revolved around the victory of good over evil. After their independence in 1844, its principal character, the Diablo Cojuelo or limping devil represents combining African, European, and Indigenous roots, and is instantly recognized because of the exaggerated mask features, with protruding eyes and teeth. People wear their best clothes for this festival. I have been inspired by the artistic mosaic quality of these characters; the belts, ropes, pleating, and layers of materials are so bright and plentiful to design with. Growing up in a city, it was my aim to combine my urban style and heritage, to create a high-end ready-to-wear collection for people to express and celebrate themselves. I created three monochromatic looks that include details like topstitching, pleating and rope accessories to symbolize the diversity upon the Dominican Republic Independance origins. This collection concept comes from the idea of this celebration and diversity.

Collection Keywords: Eveningwear, women’s wear, avantgarde, restyled classics

Collection Keywords: Womenswear, High-end ready-to wear, celebratory attire, size inclusivity

Lucy Newman Never the Cow

Designing with intention, the environment and the customer in mind, Never the Cow, focuses on modular pieces that can be worn in many ways. Drawing inspiration from the queer history of the wild west, this collection addresses over-consumption in the fashion industry. We need our clothes to do a lot for us, so I wanted these looks to be multi-functional. Each garment can transform into a new piece, whether they’re reversible or detachable pieces. It’s also a genderless collection, as I believe that de-gendering clothing and instead encouraging consumers to buy clothes that fit the way they like will slow down production of clothing. I believe that non-gendered, modular clothing is the future and part of the solution to overconsumption in the fashion industry.

Mira Stetson Thoughts on Crait

This collection was inspired by a scene in Star Wars the Last Jedi on the planet Crait. I was inspired by the minimalistic color palette and the textures seen in the salt flats that cover the planet. For this collection I am using white and off-white fabrics with pops of hand dyed red to contrast. There will also be hand beading covering multiple of the garments to mimic the texture of the salt flats. I want this collection to be reminiscent of the drama and glamour seen throughout the Star Wars universe, so I want to use dramatic silhouettes and luxurious fabrics to reflect that sense of elegance.

Collection Keywords: Modular, gender-neutral, street wear, sustainable

Collection Keywords: Eveningwear, womenswear, hand beading, hand dyeing

Renee Case Lumen

A strong focus on precision in construction gives this collection a fantastical effect. There are a variety of pieces from grand statement pieces, to separates that can be mixed and matched or dressed down. The garments are not restricted by gender or body type, they are made for anyone unafraid of attention, who is confident and competent, with a core of playful whimsy

Sheasha Patel Bejeweled

Bejeweled is a couture brand created for elite men and women. Exquisite, handcrafted details, such as embellishments of rhinestones and pearls, add the effects of volume and expression. This brand was inspired by versatility in silhouette and the variations that allow the consumer to expand their wardrobe. I created this brand so men and women can interchange the various pieces of clothing with other separates in their wardrobe. This collection uses couture techniques, such as hand-sewing embellishments, lace fabric appliqué, and high-end poly satin finish and lace fabrics. Jewelry is an important part of haute couture; it is designed by the most respected designers in the world. For my collection, I used Swarovski diamonds and pearls due to their stunning clarity and excellence. My color palette is emerald green, because this color signifies new beginnings: it makes people think of renewal and health. Because of its association with jewels, my collection symbolizes refinement, wealth, and royalty.

Collection Keywords: Dramatic, adjustable/size inclusive

Collection Keywords: Womenswear, menswear, haute couture techniques, special occasion separates, lace, eveningwear, hand beaded embellishments

JH

Jess Holmes Volupte

Margueritte is a ready to wear collection based on the artworks of Matisse. By using Matisse as inspiration, the collection uses proportion, color, and sheerness to accentuate the female form. I am using a mix of supple and rigid fabrics to create a soft, yet powerful look. Handmade prints are dispersed throughout the collection of my own interpretation of Matisse’s “Blue Nudes.” This collection is the culmination of my experience as a woman and as an artist.

Natalia Quinones Adornezz

Adornezza’s goal is to focus on hyper feminine style, romantic silhouettes, and our inner-most Victorian fantasies. Hyper femininity focuses on romantic relationships and a women’s femininity in a sea of men, hyper-femme fashion focuses on femininity and girly designs for the female gaze, not for the male gaze. I wanted to have the feeling of falling in love with your inner self and bring that out through soft yet strong feminine silhouettes. This collection is to empower women and bring out anyone’s inner most femininity, I chose to work mainly with silks and satins in order to capture that soft feminine essence as well as giving a romantic and whimsical feel to the garments. I worked with my fabric and did a lot of draping explorations to figure out what silhouettes worked best with the natural drapability of the fabric. After my draping exploration I decided to focus on the bow shape that I created and for the rest of my designs I focused on creating different silhouette variations of that shape. As well as focusing on couture techniques such as corsetry, bead embroidery, and tailoring. These techniques help bring out a stronger more structured side to my garments which will emphasize the feeling of female empowerment that Adornezza strives to instill on their audience.

Collection Keywords: Womenswear, ready to wear, handmade print, feminine

Collection Keywords: evening wear, couture, draping, romantic, hyper feminine

Carla Pierini (…)

There are things that are simple and complex at the same time, like pointing to a canvas and asking you to see what I see.

The eyes only see what the mind is prepared to comprehend

And as a designer, I will not ask you to see what I see.

By responsibly undesigning a collection that silently connect all the dots, every decision made was purposefully towards the creation of a canvas, one that pushes the limits of sustainability.

All textiles used in this collection are 100% cotton, 80% coming from manufacturing waste and 20% is virgin material. Every yarn was developed, twisted and hand weaved in Venezuela, by a small factory and a family of artisans. The woven material was manipulated using techniques that

reduce waste to zeroin the pattern making and construction process. Silhouettes were created considering yarn properties, timelessness, gender-neutrality, classic cuts, and comfort. By creating a circular Ready-ToWear collection, garments are meant to be worn as quiet luxury items, as reflection of people’s values, vision, and mission in life.

The name of the collection is an ellipsis “…” Regardless of what you decide to write or leave out,

Is always up you to question your whys, Up to us how far we what to take it, And how deep we

want to see through without forgetting

That what is essential is invisible to the eye...

Collection Keywords: thoughtful, zero waste, minimalistic

Valentina Chaviano Carcia

This collection is about the millions of meanings of the word “Caricia”. In Spanish this means a soft and gentle touch, but with secret meanings. White leather perfectly embodies the concept of “una Caricia” It can be used to say what words can’t. From its purity in color to the secret sexiness of the material, I wanted to explore the ways Leather appears next to other white traditional lingerie fabrics. I also want to contrast the rough silhouettes that leather gives with softer silhouette, that way the leather stands out, even if everything is white. For my all-white collection I use chiffon, lace, and leather all in white to exude purity in a sinful way.

Collection Keywords: Intimates, leather, special occasion

Sarina Petit Catrini

This collection, loosely influenced by historical undergarments and sleepwear, utilizes a rectangular shape to minimize waste as an homage to my great-grandmother and namesake, Sarina, who collected every salvageable aspect of old fabric goods to use in making new ones. The collection is inspired by a trunk of lace she saved throughout her life as a seamstress and designer in Sicily. Due to the limited quantity of the lace, each item is exclusive. The rectangular based designs also allow for a feature of adjustability in places such as the waist, cuffs, and closures. The adjustability functions are created by using a lace channeling system that I produced to run ribbons through, which also adds aesthetic value in the use of bows. There is a sense of eeriness in the antique staining of the lace that I have decided to run with in terms of styling and handmade accessories to add personality to the designs.

Though I never had the privilege to meet the woman who has inspired my path, the memories shared with me throughout my life have helped me understand who she was. This project has allowed me to experience a special sense of connection with her. I look forward to sharing this collection with you and my family members who have supported me joining this field since I was a child. I would like to dedicate it to and thank Sarina and her three children; these people and their stories have inspired me endlessly. Collection Keywords: Sustainable, zero waste cutting, adjustable, antique, vintage, lace, one-of-a-kind

Collection Keywords: Sustainable, zero waste cutting, adjustable, antique, vintage, lace, oneof-a-kind

Philomena Foster L’Identite

L’Identité is an intimates and loungewear collection aimed towards Black women growing up or living in western society. Often, pop culture’s influence heavily impacts what we deem beautiful as a society and how we ultimately perceive ourselves. Black culture and beauty have been, too often, last to be celebrated, or ignored, as a result. The goal of this collection is to create silhouettes that do just the opposite. By marketing and catering this collection to Black women and WOC, l’Identité aims to celebrate Black identity in hopes that women today and young girls of the next generation grow up feeling inspired, seen, and desired. I hope to empower Black women and girls with this collection to ultimately encourage the truth that Black is beautiful.

L’Identité is versatile, utilizing fully fashioned knitwear for the softest lounge material, and sensual silk charmeuse for that alluring look. The deep burgundy color palette and gold handappliqué were chosen to incite the force and sensuality that radiates from the Black woman. Each silhouette can be worn at the consumer’s wish, meaning while the collection might appear for at-home use, it can also act as wearable lingerie.

Collection Keywords: Womenswear, Intimates, lingerie, lounge, knitwear programming, black beauty, hand appliqué surface design

Alina Wolfenson Parisian Punk

Parisian Punk tells the story of my evolution as a designer through school. Since I can remember I’ve held the idealized image of a fashion student always dressed stylishly, studying in Paris, learning to make gorgeous gowns. When I arrived at Drexel my love for Chanel, soft pink, and pearls matched this image I dreamed of living. This ideal was contrasted by the reality I learned of the industry being terrible to the planet and people, and eventual success starts from sewing out of your bedroom and staying persistent in your vision and efforts. This aligns with the punk subculture I have embraced as it began with young people making space for their style rebelling against the norm, crafting their own fashions and making new from old. The collection begins with the soft shapes of ruffles and bows in pink satin to represent the idealized Parisian chic style and transitions to leather, hardware, and mesh evoking the punk aesthetic and values of toughness, hand work, and rebellion that are necessary to achieve the high fashion ideal.

Collection Keywords: Womenswear, eveningwear, sustainable, leather, deadstock fabric

Leah Winkler Big, Bold, Beautiful

Big, Bold, and Beautiful is a plus size haute couture collection that is designed from start to finish for curvy women. It is meant to allow all women to feel bold, confident, and like showstoppers, no matter their size. All eyes are on them when they walk into the room. Typically, haute couture designs are only made for straight sized women. I wanted to fill the gap in the industry by designing for the curvy women. I wanted my looks to show off the woman’s body in a way that allows her to cover up the parts she wants hidden while showing off the parts she wants seen. Since all women have different body parts they want covered, I made each piece cover up and show off a different part of the body. I did this by making three dimensional, sculptural pieces that come out of the surface of the garments and accentuate the curves of the body while also covering them up. I decided to focus on the most common parts of the body that a woman may want to cover and show off. I made some of my looks show off the model’s arms, neck, bust, and legs, while others of my looks cover them in three dimensional pieces to draw the attention to those parts of the body in a positive way. I wanted to put a spin on the idea of covering up the body to be in a way that embraces the shapes that women want covered. All my looks are meant to show that every body is beautiful, no matter her shape or size.

Collection Keywords: Haute couture, plus size, curvy, sculptural, structural, evening wear, women’s wear, light up beauty, hand appliqué surface design

Genevieve van Lent N˚ 4

4A creative take on self-expression and the classic little black dress uniform, “Genevieve” uses styling and accessorizing to make a versatile collection. Tailoring and the simple color palette conveys unity and varying silhouettes to express personal style; this collection is for the sultry and unique “it girls” of the world. Genevieve embraces negative space by featuring exaggerated hemlines and harsh crops, with transparency. The shiny latex reveals sex appeal and works together with tailored garments to add a layer of sophistication and balance to the collection. “Genevieve” is flattering and has an “edgy elegance “ that is unforgettable.

Julia Zotto Bound

“Bound” is an ode to perseverance. This refined collection plays with the constraints of layers, restriction, and surface design. These pieces delicately represent the overcoming of seemingly insurmountable obstacles while juxtaposing the varying emotional responses evoked by each challenge. These pieces convey my personal experience of diving into a completely new career and pushing through every technical problem with endurance. From classes being moved online due to COVID-19, to personal self-doubts, the journey is not always easy but is always ultimately fulfilling. Through using tie restraints and pins to produce contrasting shapes and textures, my collection blurs the lines between depicting the rewards of persistence and the stress that can come with getting there. Alternatively, it captures a journey of ups and downs and portrays them together as one with an element of beauty and sophistication.

Collection Keywords: Women’s wear, Elevated Ready-to-Wear, Hand-Dyed, Natural Fibers, Surface Design, Applique

Collection Keywords: Uniform, tailoring, embracing negative space as part of design

Bound by Julia Zotto

Eva Liu Hi, Ocean

“Hi, Ocean” is a women’s ready-to-wear resort collection inspired by coral reefs under the sea. Taking sustainability as the heart of my design, I use upcycled and dead-stock fabrics from Fabscrap as the main fabric components – the embroidered mesh and mint georgette. Other fabric components such as silk chiffons and linen are perfect for resort as they are breathable and light weight, and they are natural “degradable” fabrics. My color theme is monochromatic coral and mint/teal. Techniques like flounce edges, cascading ruffles, and pleats are used in this collection. In harmony with the nature of the textiles, I am following what the fabrics want to do. Pearl-merrow finishing is used throughout this collection. As the chiffon fabrics and stretchy mesh relaxed after sewing, clean and wavy lettuce edges are created that not only mimic the coral, but also promote light movement while the wearers walk. Each of the four looks is entirely composed of mix and match separates for people to create different individual looks and to wear for more than one occasion. My collection is a song of praise for nature’s beauty and a love-letter to people who care for nature, care for sustainability and now dress up and express their own beauty at a resort. Collection Keywords: Women’s ready-to-wear, sustainable design, ruffle, feminine, mix-and-match ready-to-wear, loungewear

Catharine McMahon Twintalgia

Twintalgia: noun, twin•tal•gia /’twin-’stal-jə/

The sentimental longing, wishful affection, and feeling of disconnect when twins are separated.

Stemming from the lost connection when twins are separated, Twintalgia uses the idea of connectivity and disconnect to represent these feelings of division. Using a range of techniques and playing with volume, proportion and silhouette, this collection seeks to represent feelings through abstract artwork and create a sculptural experience with clothing. Not meant to be wearable, Twintalgia interacts with space and is to be seen as a performance. The garments can be fully attached or detached at any point in time and represent the connections that are still felt between separated twins.

Collection Keywords: Couture, Avantgarde, Sculptural, Connected, Volume and Proportion, Performance

Emma Petersen Street Junk

Using deconstructed bags and dead stock cotton vegetable dyed materials, Street Junk is a sustainable collection that explores creative ways to wear things that would otherwise go to waste. Clothing pollution and overconsumption are a huge problem in the fashion industry. The cycle of consumption and production leads to so much excess waste that the fashion industry is the second biggest polluter in the world. With the ongoing threats of climate change, it is so important for designers to focus on new ways to make clothes that do not contribute to the waste process. As a collection focusing on sustainability, Street Junk works with bags at the end of their life cycle, dead stock fabric that would usually get tossed, and food that is already in excess to create a collection that utilizes repurposed materials and attempts to create a closed loop cycle.

Tobee Chalupa Nolite Timere

Nolite Timere. In Latin it means “be not afraid,” the common greeting from angels in the bible. And it’s not without reason. Biblical angels are described as almost monstrous forms with either too many eyes or too many wings. This collection plays with these motifs, manipulating polyester organza through a heat set shibori-style pleating and wrinkling. The process molds the garments to the body and creates an almost winglike texture. The sheerness of the organza acts to reveal, whereas the use of dense layering works to obstruct. The layering of different colors of organza manipulated by the shibori technique achieves an almost flesh like color where the wrinkles and pleats take on an almost veinlike appearance. Dozens of colorful wool eyes, felted onto an iridescent silk organza work as appliques, meandering up and down the form. Due to the nature of the manipulated fabric, the organza acts as an almost stretch material, allowing each piece to adapt and fit the bodies of many different wearers.

Collection Keywords: Hand Dyed, sustainable design, upcycling, conceptual street wear, convertible design, repurposed, high craft

Collection Keywords: Haute C=couture, eveningwear, adaptability, fabric manipulation, needle felting, shibori technique

Mark Santiago AVES

AVES is a modern exploration of form and silhouette through women’s ready-to-wear. AVES utilizes a strict singular color palette to emphasize the structure and tailoring of each garment, creating a strong contrast between the wearer and the clothing. Through fabric manipulation, each look imitates the intricate structure of a bird’s wings. Furthermore, the collection pulls inspiration from the streamlined structure of the class of aves, which has evolved into a purely utilitarian form. This theme has been expressed through utilitarian patternmaking and finishings.

Beibei Wu Be Good as Water

The concept of this collection comes from a Chinese idiom called “上善若水“ which means the highest goodness is like water. In detail, water has the virtue of nourishing the life of all things. It can offer the most benefit without competing with all things for profit, so the greatest goodness in the world is like water.

In this collection, nylon organza and glass beads perform as intermediacy to tell the whole story of water. The collection uses a heat setting technique (Shibori technique) to mimic shape form and texture of three different states of water, which are solid, liquid, and gas.

Collection Keywords: Ready-to-wear, Womenswear, tailoring, silhouette, fabric manipulation, modern

Collection Keywords: Haute Couture, Shibori Technique, Material Based Design, Design Messaging: Design for a Cause, Organza

Lara DeBoy Anatome

“Anatome” is a ready-to-wear collection that explores how we push the human body to and past its physical limits through movement and dance. Pulling from my own experience, the collection uses sheer bias-cut fabrics to accentuate the anatomy and movement of the human body. The transparency of the fabrics allows for the garments to be layered in varying ways to hide or expose the wearer’s body. Hand-painted silks are featured in each look to accentuate and identify the different ways in which dancers harm their bodies in the pursuit of perfecting their art.

Nina Sajankila Overgrown

Overgrown is an eveningwear collection inspired by the blooming of flowers and their soft and delicate appearance in conjunction with their strength. By using a floral jacquard as a starting point for design, Nina found a way to extract from the print, creating texture and three dimensionality in fabric. Using traditional fine-art techniques of block printing, she created a handmade print as the template for pattern-tucking organic petals, a precise hand sewn technique. The use of block printing on fabric is a valued practice in India, and it was important for Nina to tie her roots into her designs while finding a way to elevate the technique. All remaining scraps in the collection were used for three-dimensional flowers in the garments and jewelry and accessory design. Using softer and delicate fabrics along with structured designs and corsetry, Nina’s collection emphasizes soft strength.

Collection Keywords: Ready-to-wear, W=woven, womenswear, Original print design, Surface interest, handpainted

Collection Keywords: Eveningwear, couture techniques, women’s wear, handmade surface design, texture, zero waste techniques

MARTINEZ /MAHA

Brenden Martinez MAHA

“MAHA” is a menswear collection which focuses on the primal aspect of fashion stemming from the rich Puerto Rican/Taino people. Combining traditional tailoring methods, hand crafting techniques, and a focus on sustainability, MAHA offers a revival of nostalgic styles with a modern twist on form, functionality, and silhouette. This collection represents the blend of modern and classical silhouettes to create luxury garments focused on historical and sustainable elements. With this collection I aim to bring the rich culture of the Caribbean Taino people back to the fore front of modern elegant design.

Sehlah Ahmad Riwaayat

Riwaayat // الروايات

[ ri-wā-yat ] noun: referring to a tale, narration, tradition, recital or conversation.

With the emergence of two identities flourishing seamlessly, Riwaayat narrates Sehlah Ahmad’s aim to create a new composition balanced in their heterogeneous elements; where everything can exist. With the ethos of tradition influenced by the present, each garment proposes a unique and individual visual appearance exploring the possibility of self-expression. The collection is an expression of contemporary botanical embellishment, embroidery, and silks combined with the traditional elegance of formal Pakistani wear and the complexity of modest wear. Riwaayat showcases the art of balancing these heterogeneous elements thus, paying tribute to her diverse heritage and soulful artistry.

Collection Keywords: Menswear, leather, hand-printing, handdyed woven textiles, men’s ready-to-wear, leather goods, leather sustainability

Collection Keywords: Womenswear, designer ready-to-wear, modest wear, embellishment/embroidery, inclusive design, handbeaded

Fei Qu Marriage D’Amor

This collection is wedding themed. I want to show that women experience happiness and are full of longing and dream when they step into marriage. Love is beautiful and represents a turning point for women to enter a new phase. It is a symbol of a woman who is about to take the hand of her lover and move on to a new family. We cannot define the moment in a woman’s life when she is the most beautiful, but I hope that every woman is the most beautiful when she puts on her wedding dress. It is a dreamy theme, the color of love as I see it. It is the color of the Disney princess dream in every girl’s heart and their yearning for love in their hearts.

This collection uses couture techniques to highlight the beauty and elegance of a woman’s curves with different styles of dresses. I used a lot of hand sewing to ensure the curves of the body. The fabrics are mainly satin finish, and I also used tulle and mesh to shape the garments. For one of the wedding dresses, I used lace fabric applique to enhance the overall beauty and reflect the charm of women in this moment. I hope that every woman who wears my design is blissful and full of fantasy and expectation for her future. Collection Keywords: Womenswear, couture construction, tailored, handwork

Katy McClure Here’s to New Beginnings

This collection’s inspiration was to melt together the techniques used in traditional tailoring with the feminine shapes of cocktail attire. It strives to highlight the high level of complex and time-consuming handwork that is needed to create high end, beautiful garments. The use of pad stitching on the tuxedo collar details creates hard lines and definite structure. The lace inserts and placement reveal skin and fabric underneath to rest the eyes. The hand embroidery and beading embellishments create the feel of opulence and luxury. The mixture of hard and soft, sheer, and opaque, fitted and flared creates a classic collection of cocktail looks that are sophisticated and understated.

Collection Keywords: Womenswear, cocktail dresses, tailoring techniques, couture techniques, surface design, hand embroidery and beading on textiles

Yashu Zeng A Glimpse Through the Veil

A Glimpse through the Veil” Through the name, you can imagine thousands of girls behind the veil. This process is full of the unknown, exploration and imagination. Yashu draws inspiration from women’s historical costume in medieval Europe, trying to express a rebellious aesthetic through exaggerated silhouettes and innovative fabrics. She connects the introverted temperament of traditional Chinese femininity with Western culture, allowing the audience exploring the line between coverage and exposure. “ Try to create some girls with innate fragility, delicacy, weirdness and sensibility, but also they have courage to break the identity confinement, face the conflict, try and broaden a different lifestyle. —an intensive tension is created in this collection.

This collection uses SHIMA SEIKI machine knit technology to maximize the diversification of fabrics. Combining the fine yarn, the collection breaks through the limitations of lace design, makes the traditional chunky knit products more delicate and flowing. In terms of craftsmanship, this collection adopts advanced couture techniques. Hand-sewing processes guarantee well-constructed, high-quality garments. Tiered layers of tulle build the silhouettes, overlayed lightweight, silky fabrics create a dynamic flow, which forms a sharp contrast with leather in texture and shape. At the same time, the designer uses bamboo strips to build the understructure with clever and unusual hollowing, expressing an eclectic way of dressing. The tension between “tighten” and “releasing” runs through the collection.

Collection Keywords: Womenswear, SHIMA SEIKI machine knit, fully-fashioned knitwear, Couture construction techniques, knit textile design

Caroline Brown Sweet Grass

HAUTE COUTURE

noun

High-end fashion that is constructed by hand from start to finish, made from high quality, expensive, often unusual fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finished by the most experienced and capable sewers- often using time-consuming, handexecuted techniques.

This collection is a study in Haute Couture, inspired by Jonathan Greens’ painting, “June Breeze”, and the sweetgrass baskets of the Gullah people. Renesha Wolfe, a fourth-generation Gullah weaver, hand sews strands of bulrush, sweetgrass and palm grass in successive coils to create the floral and basketry accents in this collection. Caroline is deeply influenced by this time consuming and beautiful technique, representative of a rich cultural heritage found only in the coastal regions of her native South Carolina.

Employing a knowledge and respect of inherent textile properties, she challenges luxury fabric characteristics through exaggerated corsetry, manipulation of fabric biases and laser cutting techniques. Dramatic silhouettes result, mimicking the graceful curves of the basket, while clean finishes elevate the looks and imbue them with a sense of luxury. A sophisticated color palette of vibrant whites, rich neutrals, and subtle hues of blue and green evoke the mesmerizing beauty of the low country.

The combination of intricate basketry details with meticulous couture techniques is breathtaking. But what shines through is the beauty of the culture formed through lifetime apprenticeships, whether in the Couture Houses of Paris or on front porches of grandmothers. This collection emphasizes the importance of not forgetting heirloom techniques that have been handed down and celebrated through generations.

Collection Keywords: Haute couture, structural volume, luxurious fabric, heirloom techniques, laser cut fabric, gullah sweetgrass

Dot Boshium ‘24/ Caroline Brown, MS ‘23

PHOTO/ DESIGNER

SPECIAL THANKS

Thank you to all who made the 2023 Drexel Fashion Show possible

Ella Herman ‘24/

PHOTO/ DESIGNER

Drexel University

University

ILLUSTRATION

ILLUSTRATION

ILLUSTRATION

ILLUSTRATION

ILLUSTRATION

Carla

ILLUSTRATION Eva

John A. Fry President

Paul E. Jensen, PhD. Provost

David L. Unruh Senior Vice President, Institutional Advancement

The Robert and Penny Fox Historic Costume Collection

Clare Sauro Director and Chief Curator

Monica Stevens-Smyth, MS ‘12 Collections Manager

Collections and Exhibition

Derek Gilman Executive Director

Nina Sajankila, MS ‘23

Julia Zotto ‘23

Alina Wolfenson ‘23

RIGHT TO LEFT TOP TO BOTTOM

Pierini ‘23

Sehlah Ahmad, MS ‘23

Liu, MS ‘23

Fashion Award Judges

Missy Dietz

Mary Dougherty

Carole Hochman, BS ‘66

Gail Onorato, BS ‘78

Joan Shepp

Ellen Shepp

Stephanie Schaich Bricken, BS ‘88

Nancy Volpe Beringer, MS ‘16

John Wind

Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design

Jason Schupbach

Dean

Debra Ruben, NCIDQ, LEED AP, IDEC, MS ‘91 Academic Associate Dean

Peter Bartscherer, MS ‘88 Associate Dean, Facilities

Neville Vakharia, BS ’90, MS ‘02

Associate Dean for Research and Planning

Frances Tanglao Aguas

Associate Dean, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Evelyn Ramos

Assistant Dean, Office of Academic Advising

Tamysha Harrell

Executive Assistant

Brian Stewart, MS ‘11

Operations Coordinator

Brandon R. Johnson

Executive Director of Marketing & Events

Photography Program, Department of Design

Amanda Tinker Associate Teaching Professor, Department of Design

Dot Boshium, BS ’24 Student Photographer

Megan Kyte, BS ‘24 Student Photographer

Paul Miller, BS ‘24 Student Photographer

Ella Herman, BS ‘24 Student Photographer

Laurel Hostak Jones, BS ‘12

Associate Director of Communications

Dayana Marshall, BS ‘22

Events Coordinator

Nik Kozel, MS ‘12

Assistant Vice President of Development

Kate Bianco

Associate Director of Alumni

Engagement and Development

Josh Gdovin

Associate Teaching Professor, Department of Design

SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS AND SPONSORS

SAKS FIFTH AVENUE

BARBIZON CHIQUE

MONK ADVERTISING

BELLEVUE HOTEL

DEVON CARNEY, ’15 & DOUG CARNEY

EMILY LUNG MILLER, ’06

Fashion Design at Drexel University

Drexel’s top-flight Fashion Design programs are studio-based, boutique-style undergraduate and graduate programs that train the next generation of creative thinkers for the fashion industry.

Drexel’s fashion program is ranked in the top four in the United States and 14th in the world. Fashion students in have the opportunity to study alongside dynamic educators with extensive industry experience and produce innovative designs in our well-equipped studios. Undergraduate students also participate in Drexel’s world-renowned co-op and study abroad programs. The culmination of the programs is the Drexel Fashion Show, at which students showcase original garments and accessories for industry leaders.

Students in Drexel’s Fashion Design undergraduate program receive a bachelor of science degree, and graduates recieve their masters of science, from one of the nation’s top universities located in the United States’ sixth largest city, with easy access to Philadelphia’s rich cultural and vibrant design scene.

Learn more at drexel.edu/westphal.