Property of the Viewer

Name: Sadie Laing
Class: DS 228, Structural Enrichment 1
Major: Apparel Design

The design of this cowl scarf serves the purpose of furthering the piece's political message. The intent of this piece is to satirize and challenge the global perception of women as objects. The wearer, by covering the majority of their face with the phrase "PROPERTY OF THE VIEWER", forces any viewer to acknowledge their own judgement of women's appearances. This piece was created to combat the alarmingly common phenomenon of women being told by strangers to smile. The cowl's stark design references warning labels and the aesthetics of punk rock. These design decisions help to solidify the piece's overall message, which is that giving others control over one's appearance creates a dangerous imbalance of power between the viewers and the viewed.

*Recipient of the Ruth Davis Design Gallery Choice Award

Transform, "You're In My Veins"

Name: Emily Osterbauer
Class: DS 228, Textile Design:Structural I, Amy Keefer
Major: Apparel Design

"You're In My Veins,” is a hand embroidered extension of the circulatory system made with bullion and feather stitches. It is a representation of both the biological nature of the body as well as the feeling of love – that being in both a delicate and beautiful sense as well as an opening to another making one’s self vulnerable.   

European Interiors Screen Print, "Damask"

Name: Emily Osterbauer
Class: DS 227, Textile Design: Print & Dye I, Jennifer Angus
Major: Apparel Design

“Damask,” is an acid dyed fabric with a screen printed damask motif. The damask motif is modernized but yet traditional. The link between the two shows the ways in which certain aspects of design are used over and over but meant to be new though ultimately the same.  

Three Yards, "Flowering Fall"

Name: Emily Osterbauer
Class: DS 227, Textile Design: Print & Dye I, Jennifer Angus
Major: Apparel Design

“Flowering Fall,” is a natural dyed, potato dextrin, and hand painted textile. The scattered densities of the stenciled flowers move the eye back and forth across the yardage to produce a never ending flow. The vertical lines may read as trees, rivers, roads, or animal skins -reminding us that nature is a design in itself and can be looked at and interpreted in a multitude of ways.

Architecture Project, Convergence

Name: Erin Aubrey
Class: DS 225, Apparel 1
Major: Apparel Design

For this dress, I was inspired by the architect Zaha Hadid. I loved her use of overlaying, cage-like elements in her design. Hadid also often used repetitive, cascading elements that I found visually fascinating. I interpreted Hadid's trademark elements and translated them into my garment. I wanted to create something with organic movement while keeping the sexy sophistication that inspired me in Hadid's design.

Flight of Fancy

Student: Barbara T. Bradley

Major: Apparel Design

Second Life is a biophilic textile design process that involved gently gathering over two thousand maple seeds from local street gutters and sidewalks and re-purposing them. Instead of becoming refuse, they receive a new life. Each seed was reinforced, hand-sewn, and patterned in a way to reflect movement around the silk organza robe and human form. Each seed invites us to appreciate its organic beauty as “nature’s perfect design”. Simplicity of placement transforms into chaos, as seeds mass towards the trailing sections. The two-piece gown and silk robe are designed using a flat rectangle draping processes with little waste. The gown’s rust polyester fabric is slit and burned to reveal a contrasting gold lining. Its overstitched loose threads mimic the hand-stitched seeds. The three pieces work in tandem to narrate a story about what happens when we blur the boundaries between nature, art, and textile making and revere nature’s gifts.

Collection Presentation, "Confection"

Name: Katy Rosenthal
Class: DS 501, Collection Development
Major: Apparel Design

An appealing presentation of your designs is necessary to convince others that your concept is worthy of coming to fruition. A main part of this presentation are illustrations that will both communicate your ideas effectively and generate excitement about them.

"Moodie"

Name: Jessica Frantal
Class: ART 448, Interactive Objects & Environments
Major: Apparel Design

The "Moodie" was born out of my desire to blend technology with apparel design in a cohesive, thoughtful manner. In this case, the technology reacts to the wearer, creating a garment which is truly an extension of the wearer. The lighting in the hood reveals information about the emotional state of the wearer to others, hightening the interation.

Windswept

Name: Barbara T. Bradley
Major: Apparel Design

I’ve always been drawn to the magic of shaping raw materials into three-dimensional form. My MFA creative work pursues the relationships found in biophilic design, fashioning a reverence for nature’s mystery. Found natural objects are embellished into pieces of wearable art. Windswept reflects nature’s complex layering of texture, shape, and movement. My intent is to imbue the sense of wind and a transformation passage between humans and nature’s archetype spirits. Hundreds of feathers, fiber-wrapped wires and plastic elements are designed to suspend in space and become a conduit for light. The tubing translucency exposes a raw core; a metaphor on exposing our human vulnerability. The custom-designed bias-cut halter dress offers an organic, body-hugging, liquid drape. Layers of coffee-dyed cheesecloth and wire mesh wrap the body to mimic nature’s erosion, surfaces exposed to wind. Windswept explores how manipulation of materials can blur the boundary between humans, art, and our natural environment.

Nancy Judd Workshop, Fin Hat

Name: Lauren Kate Smyczek
Class: DS 215, Patternmaking for 3D Forms
Major: Apparel Design

Using reclaimed materials to create a piece of headwear.

Nancy Judd Workshop--Fin Bag

Name: Lauren Kate Smyczek
Class: DS 215, Patternmaking for 3D Forms
Major: Apparel Design

This fin bag is a versatile statement piece.

Architecture Dress

Name: Katy Rosenthal
Class: DS 225 - Apparel Design I
Major: Apparel Design

Senior Thesis: Le Rocce

Name: Maria Cass
Class: DS 619 Senior Thesis
Major: Apparel Design

Le Rocce is my Senior Thesis exploration into highly technical fabrics and functional activewear design.

Frozen Gates

Name: Rachael Snedigar
Class: Design Studies 327 Digital Manual Computer Generated Imagery and Pattern
Major: Apparel Design

For this project I designed a pattern that resembled the Ice theme that I have been working with all semester. Also, this piece has the idea of mixing natural objects with man-made objects. I design in a way that when you are far away the object looks different than when you are up-close to the item. When up close, you see water, trees and keys.

YMA, Voyager

Name: Naomi Skaggs
Class: DS 699, Independent Study
Major: Apparel Design

I designed multiple digital patterns for different fashion capitals around the world. I looked at color, culture and landmarks for inspiration. Paris, specifically the Eiffel Tower, inspired this yardage. I wanted to create a delicate and feminine pattern that was still bold and eye catching.

Embroidered Pillows

Name: Naomi Skaggs
Class: DS 228, Structural Enrichment
Major: Apparel Design

Since I have a tendency to think more literally, I chose to challenge myself to be abstract. I started with blank fabric so the possibilities of where my stitches could take me were endless. Pillows are supple and comforting, but my addition to the cover will transform the surface into an original work of art. My pillows are one cohesive collection, but each unique. I want a person to walk by them sitting on a couch and be unable to resist examining them closer and running their hands over the dense, intricate stitches. I combined various colors, stitches, densities, beads and textures to create a complex final result.

Recycle the Runway, Leather to Dye for

Name: Megan Schroeder
Class: DS 227, Print and Dye 1
Major: Apparel Design

Resist dyed with indigo and masking tape, this leather clutch’s previous personality took the form of a beige leather jacket. An outside pocket from the original jacket front panel is carefully hidden underneath the clutch flap. I chose to leave the interior of the flap unlined to provide emphasis on the beautiful suede texture of the original leather. The colorful lining of the purse is re-purposed from another coat.

Kimono Pullover with Removable Hooded Mesh Drop Shoulder Overlay and Reflective Tape Detailing

Name: Lauren Kate Smyczek
Class: DS 154, Fabric and Apparel Structures II
Major: Apparel Design

The piece is colorblocked and versatile. It has two distinct looks depending on whether or not the mesh overlay is attached.

Textin' Textiles, Crux

Name: Erin Aubrey
Class: DS 228, Structural Enrichment 1
Major: Apparel Design

I took a very person approach to this project. On the back of the sweatshirt, I hand embroidered the word "crux" in sign language. Crux means a vital or pivotal element. I chose to write the word in sign language to make the message more private. Unless the viewer understands sign language, they would have to ask me about the meaning. The names running down the arm of the piece represent people who have had an irreversible, positive impact on my life.  My parents’ names are embroidered on the sleeve because they are the most important influences in my life. I liked the idea of wearing the garment and taking my favorite people with me wherever I went.  

Nancy Judd Recycle Runway, Atlas

Name: Erin Aubrey
Class: DS 225, Apparel 1
Major: Apparel Design

We used all recycled materials to create this project. We wanted to use local materials connected to the UW - Madison student experience. To make the garment, we folded and plated old maps from UW's geography library. The lining is made from fabric scraps and the closure is Velcro left over from another project.  By re-purposing old materials, we gave them a new life and purpose.