In the spirit of artistry, New York City’s Fashion Institute of Technology hosted their first annual MFA fashion showcase. As Coach and Tory Burch showcased their esteemed collections and New York Fashion week came to a close, FIT Fine Arts graduates got their big break as their own collections hit the runway. “Beyond” was the expansive theme of the showcase, which the institution’s president, Joyce F. Brown, defined as an exploration of the “limitless possibilities of a modern world in which creativity knows no bounds.” Acting as a microcosm of youthful artistry, “Beyond” is a seamless integration of the manifold perspectives cultivated by the diverse identities and upbringings of FIT’s MFA graduates. 

THE HIGHLIGHTS:

BRYAN BARRIENTOS — SYNTHESIZING THE BEYOND IN “JUANA” — ★★★☆☆

Bryan Barrientos’s “Juana” was the inaugural collection featured in “Beyond” and speaks to the impact of shape. By fiercely expanding and distorting the figure of the wearer, Barrientos was able to tell a story in the boundless language of geometry. His collection overrides presence and logic: cones blight at the hip of an inflated dress, expansive textures are covered in puffy extrusions. Shape speaks for itself in “Juana,” and I have zero doubt that Barrientos chose to omit color to let his work speak for itself. 

“Juana” can be described as a couturier’s reconstruction of a common American story. Barrientos set out to represent his mother’s harrowing journey illegally crossing the US-Mexico border. While it is difficult for the observer to discern the deeply personal experiences embedded in “Juana,” one can feel a cathartic sense of understanding, of mother-son kinship. 

EUNHAE CHO — DECONSTRUCTING REALITY IN “GROWING MOMENTS: MEMORY FOSSILS” — ★★★★★

According to Eunhae Cho, people are like stones, and “no two stones are alike.” Cho’s “Growing Moments: Memory Fossils” explores the beauty of unique identity via silhouette. Cho, inspired by the untamed nature of fossils, strips back at societal expectations and exposes the very root of identity in this collection. Cho takes elegance and makes it loud, takes style and stretches it to comfort. Much like the rawness of nature’s sprawl, “Growing Moments: Memory Fossils” extracts the unique inner dreamer from within. This collection is not just a conceptual beauty, but a wonder of craftsmanship too. Beautiful tailoring hugs Cho’s models, delicate textures reflect and diffuse the light. . . Eunhae Cho is going places. 

QI YUN — COWGIRL; CORPORATE IN “EAST MEETS WEST” — ★★★★☆

Art is rebellion, and rebellion is unifying. “Eats Meets West” is a fusion of two cultural cores: the Eastern world, and the Western world. This collection is quite timely, as there has been a recent incubation of Eastern couture rising to the world stage. Alongside the four fashion capitals, major East Asian cities such as Shanghai and Tokyo host fashion weeks that seem to be gaining momentum. In “East Meets West,” sharp makeup looks severs the eyes of models as they glide down the runway coated in a fusion of Eastern textures and silhouettes accompanied by Western shape. 

BRUNELA RAMIREZ — SOCIETAL ATROPHY IN “COLLECTION O”  — ★★★★★

“Collection O” takes traditional couture, deflates it, re-inflates it, and twists it a million times over. The models appear entrapped in shells of viscose. This astigmatism of fashion curates a unique and intoxicatingly foggy story, in which each piece represents their own person. 

ZILING DONG — SALT OF THE EARTH; A GROUNDED VISION IN “HARMONIOUS COLLISION” — ★★★☆☆

Ziling Dong’s delicate craftsmanship shines through in “Harmonious Collision.” Dong describes the collection as an exploration of “women’s slow fashion, focusing on woven materials, flowing structures, elegance, and comfort.” While executed faithfully, Dong’s concept lacks some of the ingenuity which set her peers’ collections apart. Ultimately, however, it is easy to see beyond the potential “Harmonious Collision’s” weakness when her pieces are so finely tailored. 

ASHLEEN TUTEJA — PAVING THE NEW SILK ROAD IN “WHEELS OF HONOUR” — ★★★★☆

Inspired by Indian truck drivers, Ashleen Tuteja cleverly interpolates the essence of industrial textures. Dirt, rubber wheels, and the scent of exhaust fumes morph into streetwear-adjacent, boxy silhouettes which pay homage to the relentless backbone of the Indian economy. 

YOON SEO LEE — THE HUMAN TIME CAPSULE; PEOPLE ARE MICROCOSMS IN “SMUGGLER” — ★★★★★

Have you ever felt like a fugitive while passing through an airport metal detector? Have you ever gotten a pang of anxiety as if somehow you had packed felonious contraband in your suitcase? This is one of many scenarios that one can interpret Yoon Seo Lee’s “Smuggler” as portraying. Conceptually, “Smuggler” is easily the best collection within “Beyond.” It portrays the unique sensory and oft-absurdist reality of stuffing one’s suitcase. Lee rationalizes that the contents of luggage reflects its user. Besides coveting the finest silhouettes of the show, Lee exhibits  a certain brilliance in the styling of her garments. My favorite piece features a dress shirt with free-flying sleeves, which are to be completely ignored by the wearer, as the actual arm-holes sit just below it. Just looking at these pieces, one can project imaginative scenarios and personas onto the models. 

YIXUAN NIE — THE CLOCK NEVER STOPS; DIVERSITY IS ROUTINE IN “YAN XIA” — ★★★★★

“YAN XIA” has the patina of a rash morning before the most important meeting of your entire career, to the point that you have to abandon all your sensibilities and leave the house with half a face of makeup.  Setting out to represent the diverse everyday lives of everyday Bejingers, Yixuan Nie has curated some of the most iconic pieces of the show. The highlight: a half-readied redhead—still with curlers in her hair—power walking down the runway in a stunning deconstructed gown. This collection looks like a combination of the sensibilities of esteemed designers Simone Rocha and Dior-era John Galliano. One can only hope Yixuan Nie continues to showcase her talent in the future.

HONORARY MENTIONS: 

URVI SELARKA — DIFFUSING IRREALITY IN “NEBULA” — ★★★★★

“Like swallowing liquid gold” is how I would describe Urvi Selarka’s “Nebula.” Selarka’s collection complements the wearer with velveteen geometry in an electric way. 

CINDY QIANQIAN DONG — HYPOTONIC FORMS; INTEGRATED EMBELLISHMENT IN “AQUAFLOW” — ★★★☆☆

Cindy Qianqian Dong uses sculptural acumen to embellish the human form in “Aquaflow.” Dong’s simplistic pieces draw attention to the beauty of free will, using sculpture to depict the flow of water. 

NATALIA ROBLES OTEIZA — REBELLION BLOOMS IN “TESSELLATED RESISTANCE” — ★★★★☆

Fashion can be fierce! Natalia Robles Oteiza uses tessellated geometry to create complex textures, establishing tactile, aggressive pieces. “Tessellated Resistance” intends to pay mind to the progressive side of Chilean artistry, and it does so in a compelling manner. 

YIXUAN APPLE ZHAO — QUEERNESS, REALNESS; PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF LOVE AND LIFE IN “SEIKA” — ★★★☆☆

In “SEIKA,” Yixuan Apple Zhao explodes the provocative and eclectic side of queer culture with the power of loud silhouettes.

TAILA ABBE — 4D MATERIAL NOSTALGIA IN “BUBBLE WRAP” — ★★★★☆

Plastics, silicones, and bubbles: immaterial textures make a bold statement in Taila Abbe’s “Bubble Wrap.” This collection looks literally out-of-this-world. A collection like this would likely appall a designer from the early days of haute couture. Abbe has created something beyond the paradigm and cultivated a pioneering, nonconformist collection. 

Want to learn more about the show? Visit FIT’s webpage at https://www.fitnyc.edu/academics/academic-divisions/graduate-studies/fashion-design-mfa/students/2024.php.