Introducing Road to the Runway, a mini series talking with senior Fashion and Accessory Design students as they prepare their final collections ahead of SCAD FASHION.
Entering inside of Eckburg Hall, one of the SCAD buildings dedicated to the School of Fashion, feels like a fast-paced creative hub. Students are rushing dress forms from one studio to another, patterning pants, sewing garments and sketching entire collections. Meanwhile, the walls and halls are lined with beautiful finished pieces and photographs of past student work.
Zoie Henry took a break from patterning to talk with me about her emotional senior collection. “I was inspired by a collection of letters I’ve gathered over the past 10 years so I’m titling my collection DNA,” she explained. “It’s transcribing the way that words from others, even if they may not be in your life anymore, can still bind you and mold you into the person you are today.”
Beyond the concept, Henry defines her collection as “inclusive and sustainable.”
“I studied in Hong Kong last winter and spring quarters and that’s when I realized I wanted to be a plus size designer. I’m going to focus my collection on sizes 14 to 20.” In addition, “my collection will be made in all upcycled fabrics,” including “upcycled vintage parachutes.”
Mentoring Henry along the way is Christopher John Rogers, 2019 winner of the CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund, and SCAD Alumni. “He’s designed for plus size which is why I’m so excited to really work with him.” She describes Rogers in three words, “calm, humble and intelligent.”
Vicky Xu took a different approach with a collection inspired by “Voynich’s Manuscript, a handwritten, illustrated Codex found during the Renaissance era.” The language in the manuscript cannot be decoded, leading some scholars to think it may be of alien origin. This other worldly influence has translated itself into garments full of voluminous and rare silhouettes. Xu’s attention to detail is impeccable and even her sketches and mood boards are protected in a custom sewn pouch that matches the collection.
Xu expressed gratitude for the input of her mentor, Jerome LaMaar, who’s dressed Beyonce, Halyey Beiber and Kim Kardashian, among others. “He was so helpful about the details, and reminding me to balance the artistic elements with the functional ones.”
Nico Suttle’s shoe collection is all about function. “I’ve always been a really big fan of change, because I can’t ever make up my mind, so the whole collection is called Metamorphosis.” The idea is that shoes are broken into two parts, bases and uppers. The uppers are detachable from their bases making the shoes customizable and drastically reducing the amount of shoes needed in one’s closet. “I want it to be an experience for the consumer, which required hardware research and material research.”
Suttle’s mentor is Quintin Williams, SCAD Alumni, Co-Founder and Chief Global Designer at Q4 Footwear. “He’s worked in the industry and knows the ins and outs, then passes that knowledge onto me. He’s been really helpful. He’s helped me talk through the logistics of everything and kept my head in a realistic place.”
I think Suttle speaks for all the designers when she says, “now that we’ve finished with ideation and conceptualization, I’m excited to get into the process of actually bringing my vision to life.”
Cover photo courtesy of SCAD