Newly graduated fashion and accessory students: Gutstein Gallery, SAKS, and the future
In case you forgot during the flurry of final exams, in Savannah, on the weekend of May 21, all eyes were on the 2016 SCAD fashion show. However, there were many other events throughout the weekend featuring talented SCAD fashion and accessory design students from a variety of campuses.
The “2016 Fashion and Accessory Design Static Show” held its reception May 20 and continued for one weekend only, ending on May 22. It was conveniently located in the Gutstein Gallery, right across the street from the Trustees Theater where the fashion show was held. The exhibition featured incredible senior designs from those in the fashion and accessory design department. Although the pieces weren’t in the runway show, the quality, craftsmanship and creativity of the pieces were so inspiring it’s no wonder the gallery decided to devote an entire exhibition to it.
With balloons encased, bound to the walls with colored string as the backdrop to the bevy of garments and accessories, the designs ranged from 3-dimensional leather accented with protruding, sculptural masks to pearl-encrusted sportswear and fur-clad loafers. This was also the perfect opportunity to look at the multitude of bags and footwear created by the accessory design students, a major that perfectly complements fashion though not yet available at the Atlanta campus.
The showcasing of senior fashion work didn’t end there. On June 2, the prestigious Saks Fifth Avenue store in Atlanta’s Phipps Plaza displayed SCAD Atlanta students’ beautifully crafted designs on its mannequins, with students’ names emblazoned on the floor below their designs.
Instead of taking a much needed break after graduation, many graduates of all degree levels charged full-speed ahead and delved back into their creative ambitions. As Walter Green, recent SCAD Atlanta M.F.A. fashion graduate put it, “Having my work featured at Saks Fifth Avenue for my student accomplishments for a few days is a great experience but it made me even hungrier for more.”
Such desire for progression and success is also held by Patresea Peppers, another alumna. Since walking the stage in her cap and gown, Peppers has been hard at work on “PATRESEA Atelier S/S 2016.” When asked about her plans for the future, Peppers said, “Since graduating, my primary focus has been building my own brand. During my final year at SCAD, I got really big into textile manipulation such as dying, staining, screen printing etc. One of my major areas of focus for the summer is developing my own line of silk scarves.” Peppers is also preparing to show her designs during the upcoming Birmingham Fashion Week in August. This is just one example of the recognition she’s received for her talents. Peppers explains, “I was selected for the Emerging Designer competition where I will showcase four new looks from my upcoming F/W 2017 collection. There are a lot of exciting things happening over at the atelier, and I can’t wait to show them to you guys!”
With the drive for excellence, passion and dedication exhibited by the class of 2016’s fashion graduates, there’s no doubt that at least a handful of them will make a name for themselves in the highly competitive and inclusive industry of fashion.
