District talks fashion with SCAD designers III
Photographed by Danielle McGotty and Evyn Graefe
Interviews conducted by Danielle McGotty and Asli Shebe
With SCAD’s Fashion Show quickly approaching, SCAD District sat down with some of the senior designers in the show. Speaking about their collections, inspiration and future goals are five of the designers whose collections will be on the runway.
Accessory design major, Gabriela Dekanová (not pictured) is excited to see her collection titled, “Rotten From the Inside,” on the runway. “My collection is very conceptual… my initial idea for the collection was pollution.” Dekanová’s collection draws inspiration from designers such as Gareth Pugh and Rick Owens as well as the movie “Alien.” “When I started doing my research a lot of it was based on different kinds of gas masks, different kind of breathing devices, aviation masks,” said Dekanová. Originally from Yulova, Czech Republic, Dekanová feels that fashion industry is very commercial based, especially in the states, and that fashion is losing its excitement because things are becoming more commercial. “My collection… it’s more content based, it’s supposed to translate that strong message to people.”
Kate Schliep drew inspiration from traditional African Voodoo in the south, titling her collection — “Haint” — after the shade of blue painted on homes to protect them from evil spirits. The Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey native aspires to turn attention onto the manufacturing aspect of the fashion industry, hopefully moving towards the use of more sustainable materials, better manufacturing practices and better wages for the outsourced workers overseas. She also hopes to make her own mark and brand in the wedding industry: her passion.
“Im nervous and excited, I wasn’t expecting to make it through jury. I just can’t wait to see them actually walk down the runway afte
r these 4 years working so hard,” said Nichole “Nico” Rodríguez from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Her two main inspirations behind her collection are the pageant and sports cultures of the island. She tries to interpret them through silhouettes and designs, taking pageant materials in more activewear shapes to create juxtaposition. Rodríguez points to the late Oscar de la Renta as her biggest influence, and plans to keep an island feel in her designs.
“It’s going to be a whole different experience just to see it in person,” said Samantha Macdonald about her collection “Infinite Blu.” Macdonald is a native of Rochester, New York, who will be returning to New York this fall to train as an assistant fashion designer at Macy’s flagship store. She describes her collection as a personal experiment in movement and abstract blue print. She was inspired by dance and light and incorporated materials like suede cloth and a variety of silks to explore the way that the fabrics interact with print.
Mary Ann Kafati from San Pedro Sula, Honduras, was torn between doing an evening wear collection or a ready wear collection for the fashion show. “It’s kind of a mix of both,” she said. “I am incorporating elements found in both categories, so at first glance it is an evening wear collection but as you look closer i’m using fabrics, materials and techniques that are only used in very casual sportswear, ready to wear.” Kafati interned at Carolina Herrera, and she expressed that they do exactly what she hopes to by combining modern pieces with things “that can be incredibly timeless.” She also hopes to shed light in the fashion world for Honduras. “There are people who love fashion, but just aren’t lucky enough to come to a school like I am. So kind of to bring fashion back home and maybe to work on small capsule collections while I’m job hunting and eventually I want to go back to school”
