Spring 2020 Kent State School of Fashion design alums, Rachel Myong Christian, Sage Dye and Katie Scott were recently featured in the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Fashion Future Graduate Showcase 2020 (FFGS20). Every year the CFDA FFGS highlights a directory of more than 100 recent graduate talents searchable by specialization, foci, school and program.
Each student brought their unique flair to the program. Christian, who received her BA in Fashion Design, uses fashion to convey intimate ideas of identity and communicates with multi-media visual messages. Said Christian, “I want to act as a model for a compassionate, thoughtful fashion industry. As a designer, I am conscious of environmental and cultural impact and contexts.”
Dye also takes inspiration from the environment into her designs. A 2020 BFA design grad, Dye explores the relationship between humans and nature in a time of rapid climate change. Her thesis “Anthropyre,” uses hand-dyed garments made from post-consumer materials to reflect how an environment goes through cycles of damage and repair, creating quality garments that challenge preconceived notions around what sustainable fashion looks like. “I hope my generation can work together to transform today into a tomorrow that is slower, kinder, and more thoughtful in the way that we create our garments,” expressed Dye. “COVID-19 has given the fashion community an opportunity to look at how we operate with fresh eyes, and I think we’re seeing that increased sustainability and a slower cycle is the only way forward.”
Meanwhile, Scott, who also received her BA in fashion design, creates clothing that allows people to express themselves through equal parts function and form. Her collections reimagine traditional Midwestern denim and workwear featuring innovative detailing, knit jacquards, and updated silhouettes. “The COVID-19 crisis has made me realize the importance of community when it comes to fashion,” said. Scott. “Designer collaboration creates a more effective design and stronger creative work. I want to help steer the fashion industry away from the unstable growth business model it currently employs by making long-lasting clothing that people will live in and wear out. “
The goal of FFGS is to help provide visibility to the creativity of recently graduated students. This year, the graduate showcase highlighted the students' resiliency, ingenuity, and talent that was demonstrated in a year of unknown futures impacted by COVID-19.
The Kent State School of Fashion is a member institution of CFDA and was just one of 12 schools invited nominate students to the showcase. Each of the graduates were nominated directly by their course leaders. Nominated students are selected based on the strength of their thesis portfolios in combination with educator recommendations- of individuals viewed as having strong potential to be design advocates and future change champions for climate action, social justice, diversity and equitable fashion systems.
Fashion associate professor, Sara Snyder, served as a mentor to Christian, Dye and Scott, and recommended them for the showcase. In addition to Snyder, Fashion faculty members Archana Mehta, Kendra Lapolla and Sue Yoder also served as mentors to the students.
The complete list of students can be seen on the CFDA FFGS20 website. Click the links below to view each of the Kent State representatives.
About CFDA
The Council of Fashion Designers of America, Inc. (CFDA) is a not-for-profit trade association founded in 1962, whose membership consists of 477 of America’s foremost womenswear, menswear, jewelry and accessory designers.
The mission of the CFDA is to strengthen the impact of American fashion in the global economy.
PHOTOS:
Hero Image: Photos courtesy of CFDA.
Image 1: Work by Sage Dye. Photo by Lisa Helland.
Image 2: Work by Katie Scott.
Image 3: Work by Rachel Myong Christian.