CCS Presents Third Annual Runway Fashion Show
April 25, 2023
Images by Christopher Macsurak
Eight undergraduate students and one Fulbright Scholar present capsule collections exploring individual identities in an indefinite world.
On Thursday, April 20, The College for Creative Studies (CCS) presented its third iteration of The Show, a runway show featuring collections from the class of 2023 fashion students.
The Show featured capsule collections from senior student designers Jacob Emmett, Jerome Fulton, Mikayla Hoak, Nikki Park, Sofia Proen, Ja’maiya Ryan, Cameron Sucaet, Stiven Woznicki and Fulbright Scholar, Mehran Musta. Their collections speak to their personal
identities, experiences and diverse talents. Students drew inspiration from Palestine and Russia to Korea and NYC. From their earliest childhood memories to their latest adversities, the students chose materials such as leather, neoprene, tulle and snake skins to represent themselves and the world they want to see in their designs. The collections, for some, have been months in the making, combining new-age technology such as 3D printing and microchipping with classic hand-sewn techniques.
Each year, students are asked to pick a color that collectively represents their designs to help inform the show’s theme. This year, the group chose Kelly Green to symbolize new possibilities and hope in our ever-changing society.
“The belief is that there is always hope for humanity and what comes next will be chaotically brilliant. The mood will mirror what my students are feeling and seeing currently and how they can be the best for their future,” says Aki Choklat, Linda Dresner Endowed Chair in Fashion Design at CCS.
The College for Creative Studies Fashion Accessories Design program, heralded as the largest and most equipped fashion accessory design department in the United States, was established in 2015 under the leadership of renowned footwear designer Aki Choklat. The program, up until last year, has focused on fashion accessories design such as footwear, handbags, and small leather goods. With the addition of Antwerp designer Rey Pador as an associate professor and full-time faculty member of the College’s fashion department in 2022, CCS has been able to fully expand its curriculum to include apparel design. This show marked the final cohort of solely fashion accessories design students, as the major has now integrated to include apparel design. These students, the last class of the pre-fashion apparel integration, exhibited their own apparel designs along with their accessories.
More from the press:
