To celebrate Fashion’s Night Out on Sept. 6, Urban Outfitters chose to launch its “Designed By: RISD and Philadephia University” collection, a collaboration with Rhode Island School of Design and University of Philadelphia students. Conveniently, the collection’s opening coincided with the end of NYU’s first week of classes, giving students a sneak peek of what they could be sporting this fall.
So how did the students get from the classroom to selling their own designs?
“Every year the seniors in apparel are given a specific company to make a hypothetical line for, but this time around, it was for real.” said Emily Shaw, the designer for the Ecote collection.
Marissa Maximo, an RISD alumna from the class of ’95 and UO’s director of Concept and Trend, gave a presentation on UO’s Fall 2012 concept, color, print and fabric direction. Students created about seven looks each, and Maximo guided them with her retail business point of view, which helped gauge the students’ design visions.
“For the final critique, three projects were selected based upon their representation of the different UO lifestyle brand concepts and their own unique vision as a young designer,” Maximo said.
Maximo worked closely with the buying team to choose products, as well as “sourcing fabrics, fitting styles and producing the garments so that they would be commercially viable for the UO customers.”
Despite the overwhelming transition to the real world, Shaw feels the experience was very encouraging and exciting.
“Urban Outfitters genuinely wants to promote and support young designers, which is a blessing for someone like myself, who wants to succeed as a designer in an economic mess,” Shaw said.
With nine months of hard work under their belts, these designers are off to a terrific start. For prospective designers, Maximo lends not just a fashion tip but a life lesson.
“They should also know themselves, as obvious as that sounds,” she said. “Know you who are working for, the lifestyle you hope to attain and your strengths in helping carry out a well-developed vision.”
Look for the collection in select stores and online.
Who’s Who:
Emily Shaw (RISD Apparel Design 2012): Designer for Ecote, which focuses on the bohemian customer. She drew from the ’90s bohemian culture, infusing it with influences from bands, movies and clothes.
Amanda Goss (RISD Apparel Design 2012): Designer for Cooperative. She drew inspiration from the way her grandfather dresses, which can be seen in her herringbone jacket: three-fourths sleeves, slightly cropped: the perfect layering fix.
Helen Wu (RISD Apparel Design 2012): Designer for Silence + Noise. With soft, neutral colors and an edgy, sexy cut, Wu’s collection is a sure-fire way to feel confident yet comfortable. Check out her sheer chiffon top paired with cozy, knit, sweater jacket.
Marjan Gartland (Philadelphia University): With her background in textiles, Gartland struck gold with her Cold Shoulder Shirtdress. This flirty print dress with cutout shoulders pairs well with the collar and buttons, giving the garment a reserved yet playful look.
Adrienne Larsen (Philadelphia University): Studying Textile Engineering, Larsen’s Lurex Sweater breathes coziness. From warm to cool color blocking, with a skirt or pair of jeans, grab this go-to sweater this fall.
Sofia Lizza is a contributing writer. Email her at [email protected].