BurdaStyle

This was the finale dress of my collection and features a vintage style. The are two center front darts that radiate out in a v-pattern, silver trim on the neckline and armscyes, cap sleeves, a full circle skirt, and an open square shaped back. The dress is bridal satin that was then overlayed with a white and silver cotton/poly lace. The lace was secured to the bridal satin before lining using many (MANY) hand tacks. There is a lapped zipper at centerback and the dress is fully lined.

I chose the artist Zao Wou-Ki as inspiration for my collection for this year’s show. He was a Chinese artist who traveled to Paris to pursue art on his own terms. The abstract paintings he created start as chaos and then become form, often mirroring the act of creation itself. It was in his paintings that celebrate life, that my spiritual collection, “The Fine Line,” was created. This collection discusses the thin border between life and death and why we should be celebrating the human spirit everyday.

Using one of Zao Wou-Ki’s untitled paintings I created my color palette and then hand painted some of my fabrics in his style. I wanted this collection to focus on wearable creativity. My collection takes lady-like silhouettes and gives them a quirky twist. This final undergrad collection was an exploratory and personal journey for me created with a lot of love, curiosity, and expression.

Photograph by Mike Burgess (Mikeburgessphoto.com)