Written by Kaitlynne Rainne, Photos by Kaela English and Eleanor Squires
As this academic year comes to an end, SCAD graduate students have been hard at work prepping their senior capstones, collections and theses. In this edition of “Senior Spotlight,” I sat down with Eleanor Squires, a fourth-year fashion design student, to discuss her senior collection: “Fahrenheit 451.”
“I initially had the idea during my junior year in my advanced apparel class. We were working on a project – interesting style lines – and I landed on firefighters and flames. I had also made a commitment that quarter to read a certain number of books and one of them was a re-read of my favorite book – ‘Fahrenheit 451,’” Squires said.
Squires said that to her, “Fahrenheit 451” is a book that reveals new things every time she reads it. Having read it the same year of the rise in the Black Lives Matter movement, Squires said she knew that her project should be one of her three concept pitches required for her senior 1 class.
Point blank, the book’s message was relevant to the state of the world. In the book, Ray Bradbury’s world begins to question everything that seems real. The book was a moment to recognize the need for the truth to be revealed and not watered down and say, “this is where we are at right now.”
For Squires, it was a chance to speak out and acknowledge harsh realities, something people are only now beginning to realize cannot be swept under the rug anymore. With the current social climate presenting a need to admit what was true and to question everything that was once deemed real, “Fahrenheit 451” won the choice for Squires’ senior collection.
“At first, I didn’t want to go this route. I had another concept I had worked on and loved but I had come to a stop with it. There wasn’t much else to discover but with “Fahrenheit 451,” there was still so much to discover. Looking back, I am so glad I did go this route,” Squires said. Through her research book and process, there were many different elements she developed. With the guidance of her professors, her collection began to take shape.
“Honestly if I were to describe what construction was like, it was pure chaos. I was very deliberate in all my design choices. Not wanting it to just be for fashion’s sake but to have a meaning and purpose so that took some time working out. Then, finding the right textiles in the middle of a pandemic, it was like I said, chaos,” Squires said.
Even through all the chaos, Squires noted some favorable moments. “I think my favorite part is the knitwear I designed for my collection. I also printed patterns for the first time, that was fun. Learning to repair my own machinery was a time,” Squires said.
As senior year and her SCAD journey are coming to an end, Squires took the time to reflect on what has led her to this moment. Squires said, to put it simply, it has all come full circle. Squires said her very first garment made at SCAD was an industrial, utilitarian style and her entire senior collection is centered on that style.
Doing her senior collection virtually for the most part was a challenge, but it granted her an opportunity to remember her purpose as a designer and to see the continuation of movements rather than moments. For Squires, getting to dive deep into a truth that previous generations have ignored has reminded her of what, as a designer, she’s fighting for.
Keep up to date with Squires and her collection on her Instagram, website and Youtube channel.
Kaitlynne Rainne is the Chief Copy Editor for District. As an editor and a writer, Kaitlynne is passionate about storytelling in all genres of writing and helping others find their voice. Her work ranges from profiles, spotlights, and advice pieces. In her free time, Kaitlynne loves going on walks, making oddly specific Spotify playlists, reading and working on her novel.
