Apparel and accessory designs share the runway at College for Creative Studies

The College for Creative Studies in Detroit presented The Show 2024 on Saturday May 4 at Cadieux Stage. This fourth iteration of The Show assembled over 200 attendees, with national and international recruiters from Bottega Veneta, Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Kate Spade, and Coach among the guests. The Show 2024 featured capsule collections from 23 students with over 130 looks shown, but up until 2022 the program had focused solely on accessory design such as footwear, handbags, and small leather goods.

CCS built a reputation as being the school with the largest and most equipped fashion accessory design department in the United States since the program was established in 2015 under the leadership of international footwear designer Aki Choklat. He worked to expand its curriculum to include apparel design, hiring German designer Rey Pador in 2022 to oversee the development of apparel.

This show marks the first that fully integrates accessories and apparel design, but inevitably, many techniques associated with the crafting of footwear such as leatherwork and the use of hardware were in evidence in the design and materiality of the garments.

Gabriel Armelin’s use of pre-loved garments and materials included pieces bearing visibly worn marks, dirt and tears which were crafted into exaggerated silhouettes in jersey and denim demonstrating influences from Japanese rock design and early 2000s streetwear. Miles Barron’s capsule collection “Superfly,” played into classic 1970s colors, patterns and silhouettes with a combination of upcycled and new materials to create bags, shoes and jackets while pops of bright oranges and reds recalled the 1970s Motown era.

Avis Kerns’s painting and sculpture background informed the senior’s approach to designing garments along with influences from music using upcycled materials and found objects mainly sourced from junkyards to create an eclectic collection full of whimsical, childlike fantasy.

Maureen Rossman’s collection “These Are My Friends” explored the internal conflicts individuals have with the darker corners of their mind in a thoughtfully designed arrangement of leather harnesses and shoes while Mamie Scholl’s “Shifted Lines” questioned whether women need to sacrifice style for function, and explored the dramatic shift of dynamics between women and the workforce during World War II which offered up inspiration in the uniforms of female welders, machinists, riveters, and pilots.

The Show offered opportunity for international students and even freshmen to presents garments as well as a strong contingent of sophomore students including Izzy Abohasira whose designs followed the story of a fictional spirit based in Detroit, originally inspired by a comic book she wrote, whose descent into evil is reflected in the sharp lines, exaggerated shoulders and combination of faux snakeskin and feathers.

Max Honeycutt’s theatrical looks were heavily inspired by deep-sea creatures, incorporating several water-based methods in the construction and dyeing of the delicate garments, including ice dye, pole-wrapping and silk painting to reflect the aquatic environment.

“Towanda” pays homage to women’s motorcycle clubs of the 1960s as sophomore student Veronica Wardowski honors women’s under recognized contributions to motorcycle culture in a collection intended to center strength and empowerment through carefully sculpted garments that mimic bulging muscles in the arms and legs and the use of leather silhouettes adorned with belts, pouches and silver hardware.