HC SKIDMORE PHOTOBLOG

Element Fashion Show: The Twilight Zone
Friday April 13th, 2012 
7:00 PM in the Small Gym

The girls at HC Skidmore are happy to provide you with a little sneak peak into the upcoming Element Fashion Show: The Twilight Zone... Get to know a few of the designers and the one-of-a-kind fashions you should expect to see on display this Friday evening! 

Behind the Scenes Q&A with:
Elena Scott
Carolyn McGraw 
Maia Binhammer
Ashton LeCraw

Elena Scott, Designer

Her Campus: How did you first get into design?
Elena Scott: I have always been drawn to the tactile quality of making things by hand. I started by taking a few sewing classes, but more recently I have been self-taught. My parent's clothing boutique in San Francisco has had a great influence on my style sense.
 
HC: Describe your collection – what materials do you use and what inspires your work?
ES: Most of the collection that I will be showing is from a project in which I created bustiers out of canvas, that I then used as a surface to apply oil paint and ink. My goal was to fuse fashion construction and two dimensional design into my interpretation of elements. The final dress derives from an installation I created in my figure drawing class. It is made of hand dyed silk chiffon and is a manifestation of an illness I have struggled with. 
 
HC: What was the biggest challenge in creating your designs?
ES: The biggest challenge is transforming the sketch and vision into a well fitted, physical piece that is flattering on the human body. Many fittings, adjustments and experiementation is used to get a piece as perfect as it can be. 
 
HC: What part of the show are you most excited for? Are there any sneak peaks we can share with our readers?
ES: I am really looking forward to the show because I have twice as many pieces as I did last year and they really come together as a cohesive collection.
 
HC: Do you plan to take your passion for design with you after college?
ES: I don't know whether I will attend graduate school for fashion design, but I do have an internship with up-and-coming designer Chris Benz this summer and I hope the experience will help clarify my interests future pursuits.
 

Carolyn McGraw, Designer 

Her Campus: How did you first get into design?
Carolyn McGraw: I’ve always loved expressing myself through fashion, but I didn’t get into design until fairly recently.  A friend of mine back in high school taught me the basics of sewing on a machine and, even though I made a few things then, I didn't  take up sewing and designing again until last year. DIY clothing modification quickly became the subject I'm most interested in, specifically when it comes to taking an old worn item and recreating it--making it new again and interesting once more. Once I saw that designers and shops online were selling clothing incredibly overpriced, I knew I could easily create and modify clothing  myself and I immediately got back into my designs.
 
HC: Describe your collection – what materials do you use and what inspires your work?
CM: I have gravitated towards using denim as my base. In particular, I enjoy modifying shorts, pants, and jackets--I typically bleach or dye these denims with cotton dyes and/or sew zippers and fabric scraps onto parts of them. After an experience working an interior design job, I took the “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” route and began amassing discontinued fabric samples and using them to sew panels on jackets and shorts. Upholstery fabric and wallpaper samples have patterns that often catch my eye and have always been a close inspiration in my work. I also find myself regularly inspired by DIY blogs and experimental clothing images all over the net.
 

HC: What was the biggest challenge in creating your designs?
CM: The dying process can be quite challenging sometimes. It’s imperative to test concepts and colors on scraps before beginning the actual dye immersion process but, even then, the outcome isn't always what I expect. No pair of shorts is the same as another and this unique quality adds to the bleaching and dyeing process. 
 
HC: What part of the show are you most excited for? Are there any sneak peaks we can share with our readers?
CM: I am most excited to see everything really come together! Hannah Kagan-Moore and I have worked together to create some fun, edgy outfits. It's certainly rewarding to see all the designs laid out on the table, but to see them totally complete and on the models will be extremely rewarding and satisfying. This is my first time taking part in a fashion show and I think, in the end, it will be fantastic. I also eager to see what the other designers have produced this year as well and how the entire show will debut!
 
HC: Do you plan to take your passion for design with you after college?
CM: Definitely. Clothes modification is not only economical, but it's just really fun for me.  If the opportunity presents itself, I would love to start taking commission on a site like Etsy or in a small store sometime after college.
 

 Maia Binhammer, Designer

Her Campus: How did you first get into design?
Maia Binhammer: I’ve always been interested in art but I think I began sketching and sewing in middle school. Because I’ve really mostly designed and sewn for myself over the years, contributing to the Element show this year and making clothes for other people to wear and model was a new challenge for me.
 
HC: Describe your collection – what materials do you use and what inspires your work?
MB: For this year’s designs I’ve made an effort to use reused and recycled fabrics. All of the fabrics (excluding linings) have been salvaged from different items I’ve picked up at thrift stores and gotten from friends--a judge’s robe became a skirt, a wool coat transformed itself into a dress and jacket sleeves, and a large men’s leather jacket was dismantled in order to create an entirely new jacket. As for my particular inspiration for the collection, it’s rather difficult to pin down exactly. I was inspired by teenage punk kids, night owls, cartoons, and bizarre hip-hop lyrics and personalities. But the finished designs are a bit more sophisticated and polished looking than that list of inspirations might imply.
 
HC: What was the biggest challenge in creating your designs?
MB: Working with a very limited amount of fabric for each garment was definitely a challenge, but I think the bigger challenge for me was trying to remain focused on my original inspiration and ideas.
 
HC: What part of the show are you most excited for? Are there any sneak peaks we can share with our readers?
MB: I can’t wait to see what all of Skidmore’s designers and creative minds have been working on in the past couple weeks and months for the show!
 
HC: Do you plan to take your passion for design with you after college?
MB: Definitely, although it may end up as more of a hobby than a career path... But who knows!
 

Ashton LeCraw, Make-Up Artist 

 

Her Campus: Is this your first year participating in the Element Fashion Show:
Ashton Lecraw: Yes, this is the first year I've ever been involved with Element. I am friends with the students who run the show and I decided that, as I'll be graduating so soon, this is my last opportunity to get ivolved so I just went for it.

HC: What is your experience with make-up design? 
AL:  I have been experimenting and playing with makeup ever since I started wearing it.  I'm a Studio Art major with a concentration in Painting and Drawing and, to me, make-up design is the is exactly like painting and drawing except that the face becomes the canvas. I have helped out with friends photography projects before, at home in Atlanta and at Skidmore. 

HC: Tell us about your plans, expectations, and/or intentions for the make-up in this years show.
AL: I will be working with each designer to custom fit a look that they want for their designs.  It is up to the designer if they want their makeup to correlate with the show's overall theme of The Twilight Zone and only the designers can say what look fits with their pieces. That said, the makeup will certainly vary with each designer. 

HC: What do you think is the most exciting aspect about doing make-up for the show?  
AL: Fashion makeup is more playful, and more extreme in the color palette, or lack of color, as well as adding different elements (like feathers, glitter, jewels, and/or really anything else you can apply to the face with false eyelash glue). Really, there is no limit and that's what is so fun and experimental about it. I look forward to working with each designer and can't wait to see how the show turns out! I am very excited to be a part of it my senior year at Skidmore. 

Lelah Childs, Designer

Her Campus: How did you first get into design?
Lelah Childs: I began sewing because my grandma and my mom made almost all of the clothes my sister and I wore when we were little. Then, my mom started teaching Home Ec, including Fashion Design, at a nearby high school. It was just so easy to start sewing with so many adults around me doing it. It wasn't until the end of high school that I started to consider designing my own clothes as well, though.

HC: Describe your collection – what materials do you use and what inspires your work?
LC: I am hugely inspired by past fashion trends--in particular full skirts and structured tops--I especially love the bombshells of the 1950s and '60s. Think Marilyn Monroe or Sophia Loren (I've also been watching a lot of Mad Men recently...): I've tried to mimic these sort of silhouettes with my collection, but with updated materials.

HC: What was the biggest challenge in creating your designs?
LC: So far, the biggest challenge I've come across so far has been the mechanics of the garments. Drawing designs on paper is one thing, but actually making them can be tricky. I've created a pattern for part of my collection that is a twist on the typical sweetheart neckline and it took some trial and error, but I think I'm happy with how it has turned out.

HC: What part of the show are you most excited for? Are there any sneak peaks we can share with our readers?
LC: Actually, I am modeling clothing for another designer and her piece is beautiful. I don't want to give anything away,.. but it is not your typical dress.

HC: Do you plan to take your passion for design with you after college?
LC: I am not sure... I still have 2 years left to figure out exactly what I want to do, but design is definitely an option.

Matt Wolff, Designer

Her Campus: How did you first get into design?
MW: I started designing t-shirts last year for ThoroughThreads, when we came out with the Skidmore Girls Have More Fun line. It was funny to see how different people interpreted what we were doing and what we stood for. After that I did a fair amount of design for various clubs and teams on campus before I started Grime Styles, a streetwear apparel company, last year.

HC: Describe your collection – what materials do you use and what inspires your work?
MW: My apparel is heavily influenced by hip-hop (particularly graffiti) and popular culture.  I like to make designs that make people think twice.

HC: What was the biggest challenge in creating your designs?
MW: The hardest part of creating the designs is putting yourself out there and taking that risk. Not being afraid to fall on your face, I guess.

HC: What part of the show are you most excited for? Are there any sneak peaks we can share with our readers?
MW: I'm definitely excited to hear my boys Will and Tony DJing -- they always do it right. I'm also pumped to see the make-up artist get crazy with it.  As for sneak peeks, non of my stuff is much of a secret... You can check out and purchase anything you'd like at www.grimestyles.com or facebook.com/grimestyles.

HC: Do you plan to take your passion for design with you after college?
MW: I'd love to continue to grow Grime Styles post-college. Making graphics and apparel is something I think I'll always do, whether its my major source of income or not. It's a great feeling seeing others wearing something I made.

This Week’s Style
 

Lea Carey, 2014

“I was a costume designer in high school and one of my teachers donated this top that she crocheted in the 70s; she let me keep it afterwards. The skirt is actually a vintage Adidas tennis skirt that I found at a thrift store a few years ago and the boots are Dolce Vita for Target.”
 
How would you describe your style?
Maybe preppy bohemian. I like bright colors and prints, and mixing them with preppy pieces. 
 
What do you think about Skidmore’s style on campus?
Skidmore is a very style conscious campus. I like the effort and creativity that people put into their outfits, especially when the sun is out. 
 
What is one staple piece in your wardrobe?
A black, long-sleeved dress.
 
Favorite place to shop?
Shopbop.
 
Get the Look
 

BB Dakota Lundy Scalloped Lace Tank, SHOPBOP ($80)

VINTAGE Geometric Pleat Skirt, ASOS Marketplace ($41)

Steve Madden Troopa, Zappos ($99)