It’s been a banner year for the CCAD Fashion program, completely selling out this year’s Fashion Show. The graduating class of eight fashion design students and one Master of Fine Arts candidate all made it through a challenging program that saw plenty of improvisations from the pandemic. They studied from home, they learned through video courses, they lost family members, and still, they made it to the end – the Fashion Show!
CCAD often says they are looking for the next change-makers and world movers. That’s true for this tight-knit group who looks to make fashion more inclusive, whether that’s through sizing, fit, comfort, or even one’s relationship with clothing.
This was the first year that everyone made it into the Fashion Show, and the first year that all of the looks made it in.
“Everyone has their own look, thoughts, and ideas,” says Suzanne Cotton, CCAD Fashion Design Professor and Chair. “It’s the first year no looks [for the Fashion Show] were cut by the jury.”
The CCAD Fashion Show is a juried show where each designer develops a collection of at least three looks and has models wearing the outfits for a live runway show. This year the show sold out in record time, prompting a second live runway show, which also sold out.
“I couldn’t be more excited for the show to be back to in-person this year,” says Nicole Pongonis, a team lead for Fashion Week Columbus and who is attending the show. “The talent that comes out of CCAD is always exceptional and seeing the runway show live is a unique, exhilarating experience.”
This year the show will be held at 400 West Rich in Franklinton.
“Franklinton was the perfect partner for our 2022 fashion show,” says Kristina Rawson, Donor Relations Manager. “The vibrant art community in Franklinton is thriving [in part] because of CCAD students, alumni and faculty. Our alumni own businesses, create art in studios, display art in galleries, and contribute to public art in Franklinton. The move to 400 West Rich allows CCAD to celebrate our presence in Franklinton and to creatively collaborate with the community.”
Community is another theme that surfaced in a few of the collections.
Nat Della Selva focused her collection on practical, sustainable fabrics and silhouettes that reminded her of neighbors from her hometown of Saint Paul, Minnesota. She spoke of creating pieces that allowed for ease of wear; pieces that could change their fit based on who was wearing them in case one would want to share their clothes with a neighbor or friend, or if one’s body size changed. The clothes are made to allow each person to comfortably live the types of lives they live.
“I want clothes to actually work for the wearer,” she says. “Use and utility are really important to me. All of my clothes are meant to be clothing that anyone can wear, and you feel comfortable. You are able to move, and play, and bike in. They’re meant to get dirty, and mend, and last.”
“It’s not about the clothes, it’s about the memories that you are making when you are wearing these clothes.”
-Nat Della Selva, graduate, CCAD Fashion Design
Calix Jace’s collection has the fun look of Japanese streetwear with lots of detail. His collection also has underlying elements of comfort.
“It’s a gothic style that works with 80’s silhouettes on top of traditional Japanese silhouettes like kimono and Samurai armor and mixes that with modern punk aesthetics and exaggerated silhouettes,” he says.
As a trans man, Jace finds it hard to find alternative fashion that actually fits how the body changes through a transition.
“A lot of us are small,” he says, referring to body size. “It’s hard to find alternative clothing that actually fits us and makes us feel comfortable.”
He wants to see more clothing on the market that works for someone who is transitioning, specifically trans masculine bodies.
“Buying new clothes is expensive,” he says. “I want to create alternative clothing that works through our transition so we can keep it.”
He wants to push acceptance of body positivity more into the industry and have clothing created with a focus on what someone’s body looks like and what that person wants to wear; instead of clothing being directed to a person because of their gender.
“I firmly believe that clothing [style] is for whomever wants to wear it,” he says. Jonathan Van Ness champions this attitude toward clothing and local company Olly Awake focuses on gender equal clothing, but Jace says there is more to do. He wants to keep pushing this concept -shifting the design of clothes to the form of the body and not the gender- so clothes can be made to look good on anyone.
Marilyn Brown felt the program was a lot of work but it was definitely worth it. She started researching trends in February of 2021 for her collection and discovered that ‘witch aesthetic’ kept surfacing. Her collection brings together that aesthetic, and the looks of Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac. It’s a tribute to her mother who passed away in 2020 and who loved Stevie Nicks. Brown’s collection shows a witch vibe without the costumey feel.
“The pieces are something to wear out in public on a random day,” she says.
She likes creating looks for every day and would like to take her career into making prints for children’s clothing. She would like to expand on size inclusivity that would make all bodies comfortable in clothing.
Austin Tootle’s collection centers on vintage Hollywood, dramatic looks, and tragic romance.
“The collection tells of women’s objectification and eventual empowerment, beginning in the 1960s,” he says. “It’s women making a name for themselves, rather than being in the background.”
After graduating high school, Tootle spent some time modeling and acting which gave him a behind-the-scenes look into the fashion industry.
“I had noticed everything I thought was wrong [in the industry], and thought, if I had a brand, I would change those things,” he says.
When creating his collection, he took lingerie and performance wear and created a storyline for it. “I wanted to create a ‘show’ in fashion,” he says.
Tootle designed the majority of his pieces for specific instances like a stage performance. But some, like the lingerie pieces, push the notion of what is acceptable to wear for daytime to pieces that can be worn for anytime. One source of inspiration for his collection was Rihanna’s current pregnancy looks.
His collection definitely evolved after the group came back to classes full-time this fall.
“After being at home and learning online, when we came back [to campus] we had to do a collection,” he says. “We were very timid [in our designs] in the beginning… what I originally had started out with [Serene Queen look] was not what it turned out to be. I’m so glad it turned out to what it was because I think it’s better than what I originally started with.”
He sees himself doing something in the entertainment industry and will be working with Fear Columbus, a year-round haunted house in Columbus, as a Creative Director heading up costume and makeup.
‘I’ve definitely enjoyed the creative freedom the program allowed,” says Tootle of his experience at CCAD.
The CCAD Fashion Show is May 12, 2022 and is currently sold out. You can join the waiting list.
Read more about this year’s CCAD Fashion Show Designers at www.ccad.edu.
Columbus Underground is the Media Sponsor for the 2022 CCAD Fashion Show. All photos were provided by CCAD.