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Art Thu May 21 2015
Beauty and Brains: SAIC Fashion 2015 Roundup
This time of year, as we happily stow away our winter gear, many of us are reconsidering our wardrobes and cheerfully putting together ensembles from skin-bearing pieces we forgot we had over the long winter. Gone are the days of black pea coats and endless itchy wool accessories. Now we can wear what we want.
In the spirit of putting a little thought into our outfits, and in celebration of the end of a school year, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago recently staged their annual runway exhibition of fashion student work, The Walk.
Although Chicago isn't known for fashion, SAIC churns out some of the most innovative designers in the world, with an annual runway show that would tickle even the most jaded audiences. In keeping with SAIC's tradition of concept-heavy, avant-garde creations, the collections tend to be more a little more "colorful" than what you'd expect to see at New York Fashion Week, and it makes for a great show. The garments are closer to fine art objects than school uniforms and the models (not always tall and skinny, mind you) are often encouraged to perform as they walk down the runway. This year, models stomped, skipped, screamed, slinked and threw gang signs down the runway, adding an additional dimension to the experience and comprehension of the work.
As for trends, this year text, fur and cartoonish motifs stole the show. Cruella Deville would have eaten it up. Quieter collections got a little lost in the shuffle, with everything moving so quickly, but luckily that's what recaps are for!
Here were some of the strongest looks from the show, both loud and quiet:
Interest piqued? Click here for the rest.
All photos by Robert Carl.
