ART Communicating 2WEAR Through Fibers By Campbell Briggs
The sound of sewing machines whirrs in the background as Renee Harris cuts through a piece of cloth. On the far wall, mannequins stand at attention eagerly waiting to be called into action by a designer. Sewing machines and sergers line the walls to the left and right. In the middle of the room, a long table littered with scraps of fabric holds a few of Harris’s patterns. It’s busy here, everything is in motion. This is the studio where Art2Wear happens. Art2Wear is an annual fashion show put on by the Art + Design Department at the College of Design. In 2002, it started as a small show put together by students in the courtyard outside of Kamphoefner Hall. Every year it became a little bit bigger, and now, 21 years later, it attracts hundreds of viewers. The show seeks to challenge the designers and the audience to question the boundaries of fashion through explorations of material, concept, and technique. To be in the event, designers must create a collection of wearable art pieces expressing their point of view on the year’s theme. This year’s theme is “Dissonance: a tension or clash resulting from the combination of two disharmonious or unsuitable elements." Last December, designers wanting to participate presented two finished pieces to a panel of jurors to determine who would get into the show. In the end, 10 were selected to show collections at this year’s event. One of these designers is Harris, a senior in Art + Design. Her collection is called “Discourse,” and focuses on several aspects of dialogue and how people experience dissonance in conversation. Her collection showcases a variety of techniques such as macrame and bleach dyeing to explore concepts of conflict and resolution. The deep orange fabric she is cutting now is for her third look. There is one additional and exciting part of Art2Wear in addition to collections like Harris’s. The event opens with a showcase of wearables designed by freshmen in the College of Design. The first semester for all design students is a fundamentals studio called the First Year Experience. The first project they are tasked with is making a wearable piece out of paper that accentuates a movement of the body. Some might explore the twist of the spine, yet others the swing of the hips while walking. All of these motions are enhanced by paper. A special selection of these pieces will be shown on the runway as an “amuse bouche” for the rest of the evening.
OPPOSITE Renee Harris cuts fabric for her third look in her collection, "Discourse."
You can see the culmination of all of this work at the upcoming Art2Wear on April 27, from 7-9 p.m. in Stewart Theatre.
Photo by Campbell Briggs
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