CCS Expands Fashion Design Program with Debut Apparel Fashion Show
May 22, 2023
Five undergraduate students presented five capsule collections exploring their livelihood and creative processes, representing a new beginning for the college’s fashion program.
On Friday, May 12, The College for Creative Studies (CCS) presented its inaugural apparel design runway show, featuring undergraduate students as part of the college’s fashion design program.
The Apparel Design Show, featuring collections from Andreas Caballero, Nicholas Madruga, David Rodriguez, Sarah Tombelli and Veronica Wardowski, took place on the seventh floor of the Taubman Center, in what has become industrial storage space for the building. The students’ novel designs premiered on the runway, staged around the items that have been left for storage or discarded.
CCS’s Fashion Design program was established in 2015 under the leadership of renowned footwear designer, Aki Choklat and has been heralded as the largest and most equipped fashion accessory design department in the U.S. The program, up until last year, has focused on fashion accessories design, such as footwear, handbags and small leather goods.
In 2022, with the addition of Antwerp designer, Rey Pador, as an associate professor and full-time faculty member of the College’s fashion department, CCS was able to expand its curriculum from solely accessory design to include fashion apparel design.
Pador, originally from Germany, states “In a way, the feel of the show reminds me of the tenacity and spirit of Detroit. There is a raw strength and beauty here that is often overlooked, but for those who are looking, who are paying attention, it shines above all else. It says, no matter what you take from us, or throw at us, we’ll work our way around and through it, if necessary.”
