Simon Ungless and Jody Neiderkohr
2026-2027 THOMAS SCHROTH VISITING ARTIST SERIES
Simon Ungless and Jody Neiderkohr
Sept. 15-17, 2026
Fashion / Textiles
Collaborators:, Kristen Mimms Scavnicky, Darren Bade
Joanne Arnett, Archana Mehta, Sue Hershberger Yoder, J.R. Campbell, John Humphries, Taryn McMahon
Simon Ungless is a designer and printmaker whose 35-year career spans fashion, textile design, sustainability and education. Ungless and his partner Jody Neiderkohr operate two sustainably centered design companies under the U.N. Real Productions banner, creating one-of-a-kind apparel, textiles and accessories from deadstock and vintage materials.
Their five-day Kent State residency will include hands-on workshops, classroom visits, and a free keynote address open to the public.
Silk Screen Workshops
Registration required | Open to KSU students from the College of the Arts and the College of Architecture and Environmental Design
Ungless and Neiderkohr will lead three hands-on workshops in the Reactor Makerspace at the DI Hub, where participants will use silk screen surface design techniques to transform existing garments.
Registration details forthcoming.
Keynote Address
Free and open to the public
Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026 at 5 p.m.
DI Theater/Auditorium, Design Innovation Hub
Ungless will deliver a keynote address followed by a question-and-answer session exploring the intersection of fashion, printmaking and sustainable design. The event will also be live-streamed for students and faculty at Kent State's New York and Florence studios.
Reception to follow at 6 p.m.
Student Work Exhibition
DI Hub Gallery | Fall 2026
Work created during the workshops will be exhibited at the DI Hub Gallery in the weeks following the residency.
Details forthcoming.
About Simon Ungless
When Simon Ungless graduated from Central Saint Martins School of Art and Design in 1992, he embarked on a collaboration with his best friend, Lee Alexander McQueen. The pair created “Taxi Driver,” an important collection that gave rise to the brand Alexander McQueen.
Ungless continued to collaborate with McQueen on numerous collections showcased in London and New York, each with an unforgettable title including “Nihilism,” “Banshee,” “The Birds,” “The Highland Rape,” “The Hunger,” and “Dante.” In 1996, Ungless introduced the late designer to Sarah Burton, who would later become the creative director of Alexander McQueen.
That same year, Ungless ventured to California to establish the Fashion School at Academy of Art University, initiating a remarkable journey in education. He extended his educational footprint to Arizona State University, Polimoda, Auckland University of Technology, College of Creative Studies, and West Valley College.
Ungless furthered his career in 2002 as the creative director of Member Holiday, a Korean-based contemporary brand, launching both men’s and women’s collections and expanding to 37 freestanding stores.
His return to Alexander McQueen in 2020, under Burton’s direction, saw him contributing to McQueen Creatives and leading the print direction for women’s Pre-Spring 2021 and Men’s Summer ’22 collections.
In 2023, Ungless took on the role of consultant for Rebel Fashion – 30 Years of London Fashion, an exhibition celebrating British fashion with New Generation’s support. He played a pivotal role in conceptualizing, inspiring, and curating exhibition pieces for the “Taxi Driver” Alexander McQueen collection.
For Spring 2024, Ungless steered the print direction for Alexander McQueen’s men’s ready-to-wear collection.
With a 35-year tenure in the fashion industry, his expertise spans fashion and textile design, forecasting, brand development, marketing, show production, and publishing, with collaborations extending to brands like Tory Burch, Givenchy, Paul Smith, Versace, The Burton Group, Nigel French, Selfridges, Nike, Levi’s, and Calvin Klein.
Today, Ungless, along with his husband, Jody Niederkohr operate When Simon Met Ralph, an artisanal and sustainably centered design house focusing on apparel, textiles, accessories and home. Their collection is sold in New York at Atelier Jolie, where he also serves as design consultant, Church Boutique, LA, M.A.C., SF and The Garden, Tokyo.
https://whensimonmetralph.com