When are we wearing a costume for others, and when are we performing for ourselves? For SCAD fashion design senior Darin Cross, this question is guiding a new chapter of creative expression. Originally from Jacksonville, Florida, Darin’s artistic journey is deeply informed by his grandparents’ love of fashion and a continual curiosity about artistic freedom. After deciding to start a brand with his friend sophomore year of college, Darin realized that SCAD was the next step towards learning how to actually make clothes as a way of expressing himself. Fashion school has given him the freedom to start over and really explore creation and self expression.
By asking the question “when are we really wearing a costume?”, Darin’s senior collection uses clown as focal characters to explore the idea of how we wear masks as a way of disguising ourselves. He’s fascinated by the idea that “the greatest show on earth is the mask we wear everyday to hide ourselves from judgement.” The concept for this menswear collection started in a fashion class during his junior year, through which he realized that clowns were the closest metaphor for expressing himself to people who didn’t understand him. Clown characters exemplify the idea of putting on a show for people to laugh at, while simultaneously making fun of everything around them. This act creates a juxtaposition of performance and masking that Darin is investigating in a variety of ways in his collection. Elements like exaggerated collars and military-style brooches explore this performative achievement-culture.
The biggest challenge for Darin, and for all the seniors, will be balancing time management and staying true to their vision, while being realistic about the technical limitations of their media. Creating synergy between the technical construction and the concept’s soul is already proving to be a challenge Darin is learning to rise up to. The physical creation of the collection’s garments is taking the most time because of the amount of “figuring out” required to craft innovative designs. When workshopping these designs, it can be hard to know when “done is good enough” and when to keep striving for perfection. He asks, “When do I need to walk away from the painting, and when do I need to start painting again?”
While the designs are nearly set in stone, the upcoming critiques will create room to rethink and refine the concept’s execution. Looking forward, the seniors need to come back from winter break with all five of their designs perfected. Final looks are due in April, which creates a tight turnaround when considering that it’s not just the clothes – they also need accessories and models, not to mention the full film and photography productions.
When thinking back on his journey through fashion school, Darin’s advice for younger fashion students is all about mastering the fundamentals early. Get the technical skills like patterning and draping down early, so that when the time comes to think beyond the drawing board, you’re capable of creating everything you can imagine. Sew more, intern with more seniors, but also “have fun… your fun can be minimal, your fun can be maximal, your fun can be eclectic, your fun can be quiet… put you in it.”
