Monday night saw the packed out opening preview of the RISD graduate collections. While many American schools prepare their students for the commercial side of fashion, it seems Rhode Island School of Design’s program puts creativity first and this is exactly what was highlighted at the graduate presentation.
At the entrance of the event, Londoner Stephen Smith’s hand-printed silk pieces and bubblegum mongolian shearling creations set the show off to a bright start.
Erato Hadjiyianni created garments by bonding contrasting materials to create a crackle effect and then shaving shearling and embroidering pattens onto it, creating layers and wearable designs.
Elizabeth Hilfiger’s sportswear collection was inspired by looking at boxes and then directly translating them to create 2-D looking pieces, her father Tommy Hilfiger stood by watching his daughter follow in his footsteps.
Colin LoCascio mixed fur, latex, embroidery and cutouts in misshapen forms to create his bold women’s wear designs.
Students went for it with their thesis collections this year and there seemed to be no material off limits. You can find images of all the graduates work or perhaps just some style inspiration here.
