The Jen collection doesn’t dress to impress
Written by Raine Blunk
Every year, the SCAD Fashion Show presents Savannahians with runway-ready looks created by the fashion industry’s most up-and-coming designers. With 31 collections in this year’s show ranging from evening wear to children’s clothing, the possibilities are endless for what will come down the catwalk this evening. But for those designers who didn’t make the cut, Jen Library will be home to a single look from their collections for the week.
Some of the less realistic outfits were reminiscent of failed looks at last year’s runway show. From last year’s popcorn ball dress that made it on the runway comes Michelle Napier’s revision, a silhouette with much less pinwheel-oriented momentum. The see-thru dress and cape look like they emerged from a health exhibit in a children’s museum; a wearable fashion designer’s representation of cillia (the tiny hairs inside your nose) presented in completely sheer brown and tan marble fabric. MAYBE CUT
Other formal dresses in the Jen collection were Rebekah Skelly’s dark purple mermaid cut, which would have been simple and well made if the top half weren’t covered by a shirt that looked like it came from Wet Seal. The metallic, baggy fabric seemed disjointed with the original silhouette of the dress. Alexandra Schlaubitz Garcia’s beadwork on her beige formal gown appeared to be so perfect it seemed factory made — but Yaqi Sun’s gold, pink, and green beading made Garcia’s less organic work look like a joke. It’s unfortunate Sun’s beading had to be of a giant peacock. REWORK
Christine Nguyen’s formal wear came a little less formal, complete with a see-thru mesh crop top fitted with lace appliques over the chest. The skirt, so disjointed from the delicate top, resembled more of an air conditioning filter than an actual piece of clothing.
The menswear looks were sparse. Phillip Herrold’s brown leather golf club shoes meets motorcycle rider jacket was hefty yet captured a “perfect father nostalgia” complete with the smell of fresh cut grass and gasoline, but Jessica Thomton’s oversized urban wear jacket couldn’t hit the same mark.
One of the more out-there looks from the Jen collection came from Mieko Tomunda’s short white dress wrapped in thin black seatbelt straps. Followed by Catherine Cooper’s repurposed cat sweater and chunky lace skirt with a dramatic waistline and Zishan Shao’s attempt at retro via a plaid and print one-two knockout sealed with a giant (and literal) kiss, dress up could be fun for adults again.
But looking like a character isn’t always a bad thing — Felicia Williams proved that with a Jetsons-esque dress made partly from what appeared to be latex. Despite the difficulties of working with alternative materials, Williams managed to achieve an incredibly structured fit without going overboard by sticking to two shades of blue.
And while most of the looks left something to be desired, Kara Thomas, Binna Park, and Gretchen Kreuth’s designs seemed to be almost complete. Thomas’ simple solid floor length dress could have done without so much jersey knit hanging from the side, and if Park had simply ditched the jacket covering her ready-to-wear maxi dress with a stellar marble print, the clothes might not have been on the mannequins all week.
Rachel Henderson’s Chico’s meets cavewoman design was complete with spray painted lace on the back of her fur wrap covering a terribly fitted shirt covered in paillettes with ill fitting beige crop pants. All together, the pieces came across as overkill in more ways than one.
Unfortunately for designers, these looks won’t be seen on the runway. But thankfully for us, these looks will never make it on the runway. Beauty is pain, but in the Jen collection’s case, most of the looks are just painful. REPLACE WITH SOMETHING DIFFERENT
