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Making the Grade
reviewed by Joan K. Smith |
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this
article originally appeared in the May 16, 2002 issue of the
Philadelphia
City Paper. Reprinted with permission. This year, two of the city's three main fashion programs, Philadelphia University's and Moore College of Art and Design's (Drexel presents its show fashionably late, on May 22-23), have presented happy object lessons on this principle in different ways. They even had perfect patron saints: Philadelphia University chose to honor as its first Spirit of Design Award recipient Geoffrey Beene, a true designer's designer. His hallmark is design from the inside out, using fabric and body as point of departure, resulting in works of elemental virtuosity. Moore's senior class was blessed to have as its guest critic the eternally youthful Betsey Johnson, who, by some alchemy, spins together elaborate exuberance, sensuality, and no small dose of wackiness in designs that come off as perfectly natural extensions of the wearer. In terms of student fashion programs, Philadelphia University has a strong reputation. Although a non-fine-arts-degree institution, its fashion design department, under the stewardship of Clara Prezio Henry, can nonetheless be counted on to produce graduates that often surpass B.F.A. counterparts in openness of imagination. This invariably amounts to an impressive student show that displays lots of experimentation atop a solid base of technical skill, and for the most part the April 24 show at the Academy of Music fit the bill. As if in honor of the absent Beene, there were lovely works of draping expertise -- such as Julia Lotz's back-cowled, black-and-gray trained evening gown, Maggie Ragucci's gracefully draped white long skirt with sheer tank top, and examples of workmanship so skilled as to look effortless, like Jenn Cote's award-winning senior collection in rich brown and green, with its finely worked leather detailing and subtle lines, or the amazing shredded linen skirt of Gianna Cosentino, winner of the Most Creative award). Highlights of urban cool came via Jennifer Lezzini and Irem Goren's collaborative work, a tattered and trailing steel-gray skirt with a draped, asymmetrical top; Laura Joubert's strapless striped gown, gallons of red accented by a voluminous train of blue ticking-patterned cotton; another collaboration, a trampy-gorgeous gown in burgundy and black by Cosentino and Eva Kang; and the fantastic, all-white collection of Mary Hoffmaster, with its swooping connected pieces, a delicious amalgamation of 2001 and Shaft with a bit of '80s-vintage Prince thrown in for good measure. Laura Gwinn's seductive bare-backed swath of black, winner of the Frank Agostino Eveningwear Award, was a knockout, and Elizabeth Truong's trailing sheath of yellow overlaid by elaborate off-white macramé was the well-deserved winner of the Best of Show award. The only real detraction to an overall strong showing was a somewhat alarming trend toward sci-fi/fantasy-inspired cliches, such as gladiatoresque -- or worse, Ninja Turtle-esque -- leather armature or Seuss-like fur detailing. Many of these more fantastical efforts simply looked a little too patched together. On the other hand, the best designers in Moore's May 1 show took this same point -- the heavy-handed cliche -- and made it a strength. (As if to underline this fact, the models were outfitted in elaborate Star Trek hairdos, loopy braided extensions and all.) The Moore students trotted out a succession of fresh, brilliant works that not only hit cliches head on, but embraced them tightly until they were turned inside out and on their head. This is a trick that takes creativity, guts and intuition, certainly not an exercise for the faint of heart. Some of the most successful pieces, in fact, were those that in theory could have been obvious and cringe-worthy. The swimwear of junior Kristin Canale attacked the assigned Americana theme with funky excess, with a faded stars-and-stripes set that even included a patriot-style jacket; another junior, Alexis Gurst, took the frequently overworked Pocahontas-fringe route and pulled off a set that was stunning in its detail and flattering lines, winning an Honorable Mention swimwear award. And Jenna Davis' maternity evening gown of treacly Barbie bubblegum pink with a slouchy, punkish edge had an enormous confectionary skirt of bunched and trailing pink tulle held up in front, medieval 'cult-of-virgin' style, to expose the quintessential mama footwear, army boots; accompanied down the runway by Donna Summer's "Love to Love You Baby," it was a showstopper. For the most part, the senior collections were cohesive, highly individual sets, the only overriding themes being a refreshingly profligate use of fabric, prodigious execution, and a willingness to go over-the-top with a vengeance. Alyson Giantisco's painfully beautiful set of black and nude, which featured enormous slouchy-sleeved knits and a dress and trousers made entirely of glistening zippers, was goose-bump inducing, and it won the Most Saleable Collection award (for once this award was given to something that would make shoppers stop dead in their tracks, instead of garments that would get lost on the Lord & Taylor sale rack). Alexandra De Yonge's Best of Show senior collection, inspired by her Bolivian heritage, was a wonder to behold, with elaborate multicolor pompoms and flowing South American weaves, incredibly elegant in line but brimming with quirky twists. What was truly exceptional about this show -- the best in memory -- was the incredible turnaround it represented for Moore, which for many years cranked out lots of industry-ready production designers, the "looks like a muslin" types. A hallmark of the program has been the significant role played by guest industry critics, who, in a best-case scenario, can offer encouragement and technical insight, but more often than not have operated as virtual design directors, treating the class as a company unit. The purported logic was to give students a preview of the industry work environment, but its ultimate effect was to stifle creativity at a time when it should be left most unbridled. Blessedly, this has all gradually changed under the leadership of department chair Emil De John, who has upped the technical ante while breathing life into a previously stale program. And this year, the stars have all magically aligned: a batch of exceptional seniors, combined with the presence of Betsey Johnson -- who understands that the proper role of a critic is to encourage individuality -- have demonstrated that fashion need not be a pack-animal activity. Back to InLiquid's Commentary section index ©
2005
Joan Smith and InLiquid; photo © Philadelphia
City Paper and Doug Weissman |
