Wish me luck!
-Markiesha Weaver
Thursday, January 17, 2019
Markiesha Weaver
Hi, I'm Markiesha Weaver, and I am a senior in the Fashion Studies Program. I would describe my style as streetwear, hip-hop, and zestful. This capstone collection is a 90's street style mixed with Jamaican culture inspiration. What inspired this collection is music I have grown up listening to and being around my grandfather that used to run a reggae radio station and being around that had a massive impact on me significantly. Throughout this collection, I want to capture that '90s aesthetic feel in the construction of the garment while the colors capture the essence of the islands.
Wish me luck!
-Markiesha Weaver
Wish me luck!
-Markiesha Weaver
Wednesday, January 16, 2019
Week 1! Patterns, Cowls, and a Shiny New Sesmester
Hey all! If you aren’t familiar
with me my name is D Cavinder and I’m a senior in the fashion studies program
at Kendall College of Art and Design. I’ve spent the last three and a half
years cultivating my aesthetic and while the idea of what my capstone would
look like has changed drastically since freshman year I feel it is a great
representation of my aesthetic and I look forward to seeing all of my pieces
walk the runway.
I am
currently working on the pattern drafting stages of my collection and spent my
winter break chipping away at the digital bits in addition to some yarn pieces.
Many of my patterns are completed but I still have a long way to go. I’m stoked
by the progress I’ve made so far. The last month has truly tested the knowledge
I’ve learned in the program and I’ve proven to myself that I am capable of following my designs from conception to completion. It’s incredibly satisfying
to see my ideas manifest in physical form. Here is a sneak peak of of the cowl
I made to go over a linen jump suit. Stay tuned for weekly updates on my
collection!
Let's Start at the Very Beginning...
A very good place to start!
For those who aren't as privy to the lyrics of every Sound of Music song on the soundtrack, those are the first lyrics to Do-Re-Mi. I was named after the Maria in the Sound of Music and have always identified with the character. She follows her heart, cares deeply for those close to her, and sings her little heart out. While I only do the latter in the car, I feel that I share those core characteristics with Maria Von Trapp. I should probably explain why I'm going on about where my name comes from before y'all click away thinking this is irrelevant. My senior collection's theme is Self Portraiture. I want my collection to represent a timestamp of where I am at this point of my life in the grand scheme of things, in addition to what I'm interested in at this time of my life. At the very beginning of coming up with my concept, I realized that I was putting too much pressure on myself to make this collection the end-all-be-all of who I am as a designer. That just isn't realistic! I have changed so much in the last three years at Kendall, and I will continue to change after my time at Kendall. So instead of putting the impossible task of defining who I am and forever will be as a designer on my plate, I decided to narrow it down to who I think I am right now.
I journaled for a few weeks in the summer to better understand and define who I am right now, and this was the conclusion I came to. This time in my life is defined by the word transition. I am transitioning into adulthood, the real world, really being on my own. After this semester I have to figure a lot of things out. This probably isn't new news to anyone reading this, but time seems to pass much faster the older you get. I have come to realize and accept that each week passes as though it was just 24 hours, each month passes as though it was just a week, and so on and so forth. This time of transition will probably go by in a flash, before I know it I'll (hopefully) be set up with a job, nicer car, and a bigger apartment. So how do I take all of this and turn it into a garment? This part of the design process is where I tend to spend the most time.
In my head, this is how it goes: idea ---> relating the idea to a physical object or thing ---> taking elements of that physical thing and incorporating it into the aesthetic elements of a garment.
The first thing that I think of when I think of transitioning and the passage of time is a sunrise and sunset. Each time the sun sets that is the end of a day, and this may come as a surprise to some, but at the start of each day, no matter what, the sun rises every morning. Sunrises and sunsets are the physical representations of the passage of time. I wanted to take a gradient of colors you can see in a sunset and use that as my color palette. I chose to use white, taupe, pink, and a bright red. Sunsets can range in their intensity of color, which is why I wanted to use soft, neutral tones and include one very intense red.
The entire idea of "self portraiture" originated from a trip I took this summer to Europe with my parents. My mom is a minister and this summer was her sabbatical that comes every 5 years. She applied for a grant from the Lilly Foundation, which has grants available to clergy members that allow them to take a break and explore other areas of their lives to enrich their ministry. My mom had always dreamt of doing a "roots" tour, where she would explore our family's genealogical, spiritual, and cultural roots. We explored areas where my family's heritage originated, in addition to places that helped to shape one or more family member's identities which isn't necessarily tied to our genetic composition. The two places that we went that were linked to my roots were Salzburg and the Netherlands. Salzburg is where the Sound of Music was filmed, and Austria was where the Von Trapps lived before having to flee from German Nazis. Seeing as I'm named after the Sound of Music, it was really impactful to delve deeper into where my name came from in addition to seeing where scenes of one of my favorite movies were filmed.
We went to the Netherland's to explore my dad's ancestry, as his maternal grandfather was the first generation of that line of heritage to leave the Netherlands and come to America. Before that, all of my dad's ancestors lived in the Netherlands. We saw the church that his maternal Grandfather preached at and we saw the street that was named after him, because he had so positively impacted his community at the time that they wanted to name a street after him! Another part of this trip was to tap into our areas of interest as a group, and that mainly consisted of churches and art museums. I went to the Art Institute of Chicago in 10th grade, and my love for fine art grew exponentially from there. I love old paintings and seeing the artworks from hundreds of years ago. There's an art museum in Amsterdam that is a Vincent Van Gogh art museum and it tells the story of his life alongside his paintings from different periods of his life. Before this trip I never knew Vincent Van Gogh was Dutch! Van Gogh is one of my favorite artists of all time because of his color choice, distinct mark making, and the emotion that comes through in his paintings. During our visit to the Van Gogh Museum, I read a plaque in front of a portrait he painted of a woman. It said "A portrait needs to express the sitter's soul". I absolutely love that line. I have always been drawn to portraits because I think they can give you a glimpse of who that person really was or wanted to be portrayed as. The same goes for a self-portrait. As an artist, you use self-portraits to explore parts of yourself and to document yourself at that time. Self-portraits can express who you are, and/or who you want to be. This is exactly what clothing can do, too. Clothes give off an image of who you are as a person, and they can also represent who you want to be. People use clothes to build up an image of themselves and self-portraits can be used for the same reason.
In my senior collection, you'll see aesthetic elements tied to the formal elements of a painting. I will hand paint large brush strokes onto my garments, because brushstrokes and mark making are the language an artist uses to express themselves. I want each piece to have movement, flow, and balance just as any successful work of art would have. I'll express my story of transition in the language that painters have used for generations before me.
That was a lot of information, wasn't it? I have been developing this concept since June so I hope that there would be a lot to it! If you've made it this far into my blog post I will give you a round of applause, and say thank you so much for reading all about my concept for my Capstone Collection.
-Maria TenHave-Chapman
For those who aren't as privy to the lyrics of every Sound of Music song on the soundtrack, those are the first lyrics to Do-Re-Mi. I was named after the Maria in the Sound of Music and have always identified with the character. She follows her heart, cares deeply for those close to her, and sings her little heart out. While I only do the latter in the car, I feel that I share those core characteristics with Maria Von Trapp. I should probably explain why I'm going on about where my name comes from before y'all click away thinking this is irrelevant. My senior collection's theme is Self Portraiture. I want my collection to represent a timestamp of where I am at this point of my life in the grand scheme of things, in addition to what I'm interested in at this time of my life. At the very beginning of coming up with my concept, I realized that I was putting too much pressure on myself to make this collection the end-all-be-all of who I am as a designer. That just isn't realistic! I have changed so much in the last three years at Kendall, and I will continue to change after my time at Kendall. So instead of putting the impossible task of defining who I am and forever will be as a designer on my plate, I decided to narrow it down to who I think I am right now.
I journaled for a few weeks in the summer to better understand and define who I am right now, and this was the conclusion I came to. This time in my life is defined by the word transition. I am transitioning into adulthood, the real world, really being on my own. After this semester I have to figure a lot of things out. This probably isn't new news to anyone reading this, but time seems to pass much faster the older you get. I have come to realize and accept that each week passes as though it was just 24 hours, each month passes as though it was just a week, and so on and so forth. This time of transition will probably go by in a flash, before I know it I'll (hopefully) be set up with a job, nicer car, and a bigger apartment. So how do I take all of this and turn it into a garment? This part of the design process is where I tend to spend the most time.
In my head, this is how it goes: idea ---> relating the idea to a physical object or thing ---> taking elements of that physical thing and incorporating it into the aesthetic elements of a garment.
The first thing that I think of when I think of transitioning and the passage of time is a sunrise and sunset. Each time the sun sets that is the end of a day, and this may come as a surprise to some, but at the start of each day, no matter what, the sun rises every morning. Sunrises and sunsets are the physical representations of the passage of time. I wanted to take a gradient of colors you can see in a sunset and use that as my color palette. I chose to use white, taupe, pink, and a bright red. Sunsets can range in their intensity of color, which is why I wanted to use soft, neutral tones and include one very intense red.
The entire idea of "self portraiture" originated from a trip I took this summer to Europe with my parents. My mom is a minister and this summer was her sabbatical that comes every 5 years. She applied for a grant from the Lilly Foundation, which has grants available to clergy members that allow them to take a break and explore other areas of their lives to enrich their ministry. My mom had always dreamt of doing a "roots" tour, where she would explore our family's genealogical, spiritual, and cultural roots. We explored areas where my family's heritage originated, in addition to places that helped to shape one or more family member's identities which isn't necessarily tied to our genetic composition. The two places that we went that were linked to my roots were Salzburg and the Netherlands. Salzburg is where the Sound of Music was filmed, and Austria was where the Von Trapps lived before having to flee from German Nazis. Seeing as I'm named after the Sound of Music, it was really impactful to delve deeper into where my name came from in addition to seeing where scenes of one of my favorite movies were filmed.
We went to the Netherland's to explore my dad's ancestry, as his maternal grandfather was the first generation of that line of heritage to leave the Netherlands and come to America. Before that, all of my dad's ancestors lived in the Netherlands. We saw the church that his maternal Grandfather preached at and we saw the street that was named after him, because he had so positively impacted his community at the time that they wanted to name a street after him! Another part of this trip was to tap into our areas of interest as a group, and that mainly consisted of churches and art museums. I went to the Art Institute of Chicago in 10th grade, and my love for fine art grew exponentially from there. I love old paintings and seeing the artworks from hundreds of years ago. There's an art museum in Amsterdam that is a Vincent Van Gogh art museum and it tells the story of his life alongside his paintings from different periods of his life. Before this trip I never knew Vincent Van Gogh was Dutch! Van Gogh is one of my favorite artists of all time because of his color choice, distinct mark making, and the emotion that comes through in his paintings. During our visit to the Van Gogh Museum, I read a plaque in front of a portrait he painted of a woman. It said "A portrait needs to express the sitter's soul". I absolutely love that line. I have always been drawn to portraits because I think they can give you a glimpse of who that person really was or wanted to be portrayed as. The same goes for a self-portrait. As an artist, you use self-portraits to explore parts of yourself and to document yourself at that time. Self-portraits can express who you are, and/or who you want to be. This is exactly what clothing can do, too. Clothes give off an image of who you are as a person, and they can also represent who you want to be. People use clothes to build up an image of themselves and self-portraits can be used for the same reason.
In my senior collection, you'll see aesthetic elements tied to the formal elements of a painting. I will hand paint large brush strokes onto my garments, because brushstrokes and mark making are the language an artist uses to express themselves. I want each piece to have movement, flow, and balance just as any successful work of art would have. I'll express my story of transition in the language that painters have used for generations before me.
That was a lot of information, wasn't it? I have been developing this concept since June so I hope that there would be a lot to it! If you've made it this far into my blog post I will give you a round of applause, and say thank you so much for reading all about my concept for my Capstone Collection.
-Maria TenHave-Chapman
The house that was portrayed as the Von Trapp's house in The Sound of Music in Salzburg.
My parents and I in front of the church my Great-Grandfather preached at (the original building was demolished, but this new building was built on the same property). The second picture is my parents and I in front of the street named after my Great-Grandfather. My grandmother's last name was Van Halsema, obviously coming from her father.
This is my mood board for my collection! This shows the color palette I am working with in addition to the textural and artistic elements I want to include in some of my garments.
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
Xia Pimpleton
Heyyyy everyone!!
My name is Xia Pimpleton, I am from Grand Rapids Michigan. Since I was five years old, I had a desire for Fashion Design. I am interested in designing for Women's Ready To Wear. Before college, people would to tell me that there were no colleges in Michigan that had Fashion Studies. I found that hard to believe. Two people knew of KCAD and told me about it. So I did my research, and found that yes, Kendall College of Art and Design had a Fashion Studies program. I was pleased to find a College that I could attend with my major, and continue to stay in Grand Rapids, what I originally prayed for. I am Senior at Kendall.
My aesthetic
would be described as Feminine, Bold, and Trendy.
My Capstone Collection is called "Mood swings." My collection will be designed under real life feelings of what we all go through. I am verrry delighted to show my final pieces to you all.
I am a firm believer of this scripture,"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13
JaKayla Ford
Hey 👋!
My name is JaKayla Ford and I am a senior fashion student in the KCAD Fashion Studies program. I am preparing to graduate in May and preparing to complete my final collection at KCAD which will be showcased in our capstone show in spring. Thank the Gods!! My style consists of formal wear and also streetwear. Although, for the show my focus is formal wear. My inspiration for the show is my cultural heritage which will be shown elegantly throughout colors, beading, and prints. My purpose and the reason for entering the fashion industry is to create garments and ensembles that make the wearer feel amazing no matter the body size or shape. I feel as though everyone should feel like their best selves in their second skin, which will boost confidence and create a sense of strength. And if I can create that feeling with my garments then I have accomplished my goal!
Wish me luck and send good energy for my last semester!
-JaKayla
My name is JaKayla Ford and I am a senior fashion student in the KCAD Fashion Studies program. I am preparing to graduate in May and preparing to complete my final collection at KCAD which will be showcased in our capstone show in spring. Thank the Gods!! My style consists of formal wear and also streetwear. Although, for the show my focus is formal wear. My inspiration for the show is my cultural heritage which will be shown elegantly throughout colors, beading, and prints. My purpose and the reason for entering the fashion industry is to create garments and ensembles that make the wearer feel amazing no matter the body size or shape. I feel as though everyone should feel like their best selves in their second skin, which will boost confidence and create a sense of strength. And if I can create that feeling with my garments then I have accomplished my goal!
Wish me luck and send good energy for my last semester!
-JaKayla
Monday, January 14, 2019
Maria TenHave-Chapman
Hello!
Maria here, I'm a senior in the Fashion Studies program at Kendall College of
Art and Design and this is my last semester! Can I get an amen?!
If I described my style in 3 words it would be
playful, experimental, and colorful. I tend to be attracted to complimentary
colors and have consistently used them in my work at KCAD. What I mean by
experimental is I feel like my taste changes every other week. I have so much
left to explore in my craft and I get excited with all the possibility in being
a maker. Therefore, every project is an opportunity to experiment with my
newfound inspiration! A lot of my inspiration comes from other artists that I
follow on Instagram. I want to take elements of their work and combine it with
my own style to do something new. This means that my own personal style tends
to fluctuate here and there because I'm finding new inspiration every day.
This year I was supposed to move to New York and
attend the Fashion Institute of Technology, located in downtown Manhattan.
Eventually I decided that I wanted to stay in Grand Rapids to finish up my
bachelors, as this is where my heart is. Almost exactly one year ago I was
searching for inspiration for a school project. My class was split into groups
of two, and each group was expected to come up with a design with an umbrella
(yes, an umbrella) incorporated into it somehow. What do you do when you have
absolutely no idea where to begin? GOOGLE. I googled "pannier dress" (in
historical fashion, a pannier is "part of a skirt looped up around the hips." AKA large
shelf-like extensions of fabric protruding from the hips to exaggerate the
female form). Panniers resembled what I envisioned for my
soon-to-be-deconstructed umbrella. In my pursuit of pannier dresses, I found
one that I was really drawn to. After following the image to the original site
I realized that this design was made by an FIT Grad who had graduated about 8
months prior to my search. I thought "what the hey" and I reached out
to her and told her how much I loved her work, and how I hoped to attend FIT
the following autumn semester. To my surprise, she emailed me back within a
couple days and we quickly got to talking about fashion school, our design
processes, and New York City. In her first response, she said something that
has stuck with me since. I'm not sure what I originally asked her, but I'm sure
it was something like "Where do you find inspiration?" or "What
do you keep in mind while coming up with your designs?", and she said "These
days, I find that while designing I try to focus on things and subjects that
make me really happy. That may sound silly but sometimes you get can get really
caught up in trying to make something super conceptual that it loses its
meaning to you."
I want to capture what makes me happy in my designs. I don't want to take everything so seriously, I'd like my personality to be reflected in the things I make. If I can make someone smile or simply give them a moment of light-hearted-ness then that means I'm doing it right. My senior collection is focused on self-expression, and how artists, specifically, express themselves. It all starts with one mark on a piece of paper. I'm really excited for this upcoming semester and to end this huge chapter of my life with a bang. It is CRAZY to me that this is my last semester. This is the beginning of the end!
The name of the designer I reached out to is Marion Kunz, and if you'd like to view the work that inspired me then follow this link: https://www.notjustalabel.com/collection/mkunz31794/rococo
-Maria
D Cavinder
Greetings,
My name is D Cavinder and I am a senior in the Fashion Studies program. I plan to graduate on May 11, 2019. Androgynous style as well as sustainability are challenges I enjoy tackling. My senior capstone collection is sustainable and inspired by vikings with a mix of feminine and androgynous silhouettes. Working with yarn and unconventional methods gets me excited for new projects. My grandmother owned a costume shop growing up and I was a Girl Scout for 11 years. I was influenced by both my grandmother and my Girls Scout leader and learned to sew when I was young. My love for making my own costumes lead me to help costume theatrical shows at my high school and later to be the sole costume designer for a production at Kellogg Community College. After deciding that the radiology program was not for me, I decided to transfer to Kendall and pursue fashion studies. Following my graduation this spring I hope to apply for product development and other creative positions at local companies.
Let's make this semester one for the books.
-D
My name is D Cavinder and I am a senior in the Fashion Studies program. I plan to graduate on May 11, 2019. Androgynous style as well as sustainability are challenges I enjoy tackling. My senior capstone collection is sustainable and inspired by vikings with a mix of feminine and androgynous silhouettes. Working with yarn and unconventional methods gets me excited for new projects. My grandmother owned a costume shop growing up and I was a Girl Scout for 11 years. I was influenced by both my grandmother and my Girls Scout leader and learned to sew when I was young. My love for making my own costumes lead me to help costume theatrical shows at my high school and later to be the sole costume designer for a production at Kellogg Community College. After deciding that the radiology program was not for me, I decided to transfer to Kendall and pursue fashion studies. Following my graduation this spring I hope to apply for product development and other creative positions at local companies.
Let's make this semester one for the books.
-D
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