From the depths of outer space to the dimmest part of the ocean, from the realm of the atom to the frontiers of the human psyche, UW-Stout had a universe full of imaginative inspirations for the annual Fashion Without Fabric runway show on Saturday, April 12.
The sold-out fashion extravaganza featured wearable, sculptured costumes created by 120 teams composed of 258 students from 3D design classes. They were built with cardboard, foam, plastic, paper, metal and other materials – everything but fabric. In keeping with the show’s theme, “Welcome to Phenomonie!,” each team was randomly assigned a phenomenon – natural or human-made – as a creative launching point.
To the delight of the crowd packed into the Great Hall of the Memorial Student Center, students modeled elaborate costumes that brought to life phenomena ranging from photosynthesis and pollution to black holes and ball lightning. Students spun on the catwalk in the guise of creepy anglerfish, an electron-encircled model of static electricity, a pyramid that opened to reveal constellations, and even a spoon-bending brain that embodied the concept of telekinesis.
At the conclusion of the competitive evening, $1,000 scholarships were awarded to Astrid Scharff and Celia Fuhrman for their creation “Nature’s Recourse.” The pair, both of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, were inspired by the Forest of Knives, a region of Madagascar notable for its knife-like limestone spires. They created a helmeted warrior armed with a shield and spiked flail, its back bearing a jagged model of the Forest of Knives’ topography.
Scholarship winners, which were decided by a faculty committee, were named for the tenth time this year. Teams have the option to apply for the scholarship, and they are evaluated from start to finish. They submit a process book that covers their ideas, research, concept statement, ideation drawings, inspirations, building stages and more. After the faculty committee judges the process books, 15 finalists are announced. These teams are then reviewed by the committee the day of the show for craft, concept, innovative use of materials, styling, accessories and finally their presentation and performance, said Professor Robert Atwell of UW-Stout’s School of Art and Design, who serves as adviser to the show.
Other winners are chosen by a panel of three judges. Those winners – listed by costume title and theme – included:
- 1st: “Choreography of the Deep,” murmuration/schooling, by Loren Grimes, graphic design and interactive media, Franklin; and Grace Johnson, fashion design and development, Strum.
- 2nd: “The Faces of Those You Know,” Fregoli Delusion, by Jude Sell, game design and development, Brule; and Zach Burns, animation and digital media, Anoka, Minnesota.
- 3rd: “Striving to Thrive,” phototropism, by Ellie Gold, studio art, Ettrick; and Megan Witt, studio art, Port Washington.
Honorable mentions were:
- Artistry and Craft: “The Great Celestial Pyramid,” construction of the Great Pyramids of Egypt, by Kelli Dockry, industrial and product design, Minneapolis; and Erin Whitten, fashion design and development, Hudson.
- Innovative Use of Materials: “Sea-ing the Light,” ocean twilight zone, by Kelly Jones, graphic design and interactive media, Iola; and Sierra Lauer, animation and digital media, Sussex.
- Accessories and Details: “Le monarque du cuivre,” oxidation, by Aubrey Guttormson, art education, Solon Springs; and Signe Johnson, fashion design and development, Solon Springs.
- Avant Garde Fashion: “The Fool,” cognitive dissonance, by Mila Goebel, studio art, Savage, Minnesota; and Avery Hageman, animation and digital media, Chanhassen, Minnesota.
The show was judged by Masako Onodera, a professor of visual and performing arts; Arthur Kneeland, a senior lecturer in biology; and Andrew Bogard, a graphic designer at the Walker Center for the Arts in Minneapolis, who holds a BFA in graphic design and interactive media from UW-Stout and is a previous Fashion Without Fabric scholarship winner and coordinator.
‘Sentient spirit of earth’
Scharff and Fuhrman, the scholarship winners, put in countless hours over the course of several weeks to create their warrior, which they described as a “sentient spirit of earth itself, sent to protect the land from human settlement.” They built the costume largely out of reused materials, including a thrifted road sign, a found tire, and aluminum cans, as well as cardboard, sticks, moss, and foam.
“We made lots of sketches and took inspiration from the forest itself, as well as worked to craft a narrative that would excite us and the audience,” said Fuhrman, a game design major, who also wore the costume for the runway show. “We both stayed very open-minded and valued experimentation because it is a lot easier to have more ideas to narrow down later than not enough.”
Once they settled on a design, there was plenty of troubleshooting to be done. For example, the rock-bedecked shoulder piece proved challenging to attach to Fuhrman’s body. The piece, which was molded to the shape of the wearer’s shoulder with packing paper and duct tape, was ultimately held in place by ropes covered with foam which were tied around the waist and through the repurposed tire.
“We replaced ideas often and utilized our school’s resources as much as possible. Our professors and process lab staff were one of our most valuable resources as they helped problem solve and keep us safe whilst using equipment,” said Scharff, an illustration major.
The pair said they were shocked to be chosen as scholarship winners. “Being called for the scholarship was so exhilarating,” Fuhrman said. “I felt just a rush of joy and pride for myself and Astrid. To put so much time and effort into something and for it to have a tangible reward is very cathartic.”
Nothing fishy about it
Grimes and Johnson may have won first prize for their sparkling aquatic creation, “Choreography of the Deep,” but Grimes acknowledges she was first taken aback in early March when they were randomly assigned their topic, “murmuration/schooling.” But a quick online search revealed that the terms refer to the swarming behavior of birds and fish, respectively, and the ideas began to flow.
“I did a lot of research on what schooling is, specifically strength in numbers with predators and studying the ways that bait balls are formed with predators,” Grimes said. A “bait ball” is a tight protective school of fish, and it provided the inspiration for the shape and design of a hoop skirt formed of colorful, sparkling origami fish, which rotated around Johnson’s waist on a flexible shower curtain track. The skirt took a long time to perfect, Grimes said, and an early version made with wire, netting and pool noodles was too flimsy and had to be scrapped.
“We took inspiration from other artists working with kinetic fashion and pulled color and silhouette styles from the shape and colors of bait balls,” Johnson explained. Meanwhile, Johnson’s torso was encircled with a whale shark made of sanded foam held together by cardboard and papier-mâché which she painted to resemble the undersea giant.
“So many hours went into the ideation, planning, construction, and detail of this piece,” Johnson explained. “Many late nights and hours in-between other classes were dedicated to the creation.”
“I would describe it as a wearable sculpture,” Grimes added. “While we have a skirt and top, they aren’t constructed like your everyday clothes. Our goal with the design was to transform the materials and her figure to become a bait ball.”
Grimes credits the positivity of her teammate, a last-minute loan of some Velcro from another team, and the assistance of senior lecturer Joshua Wilichowski for helping them achieve first place. “He was a great supporter throughout the whole process, and it at least helped me embrace FWOF and become even more determined to make something amazing,” Grimes said.
Fashion Without Fabric was held during UW-Stout’s Destination Weekend, which served as a launching point for the Spring Showcase, a series of student-centered events in April and May. Fashion Without Fabric isn’t the only large-scale runway show on campus this spring: High fashion will hit the runway at the annual WEAR Fashion Show at 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 3, in the Great Hall of Memorial Student Center. Tickets are available online.
