by Justin LeBlanc
photographs by Benjamin Scott
April is crunch time at the N.C. State College of Design and College of Textiles. Student designers, models, and event planners are working overtime to prepare for our 13th annual Art2Wear Runway Show on April 25.
Art2Wear is very special to me. The event contributed to a career-changing decision, when, as a student nearing graduation, I transitioned from architecture to fashion. Art2Wear gave me the opportunity to fulfill my passion for functional art, becoming an important stepping stone in my career. It led to my appearance on Season 12 of Project Runway and to my Spring 2014 collection presentation at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York.
This year’s Art2Wear will give a new group of students their chance at a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: To have control of a stage where they can make their own dreams a reality. It’s a showcase for the best of the best and provides a perfect opportunity for the audience to meet top-notch designers in their transformative years.
Art2Wear is also an educational event for the students, where they learn just what it takes to put on a major runway fashion event. With their imaginations running at full throttle, students have the chance to showcase their diverse interpretations of style, all centered on the event’s theme: Accelerated Evolution: Speed.
I must tell you, there is no shortage of imagination. The energy has been buzzing for the past several months leading up to the event. Last year’s runway show, Hypernatural, drew more than 4,000 attendees. The atmosphere and mood were electric.
We can only speculate, but the theme of this year’s show conjures up many possibilities: motion, change, technology, time, and transformation. I get goose bumps just imagining it.
There will be 10 new collections featured at this year’s event designed by students from diverse disciplines ranging from Art and Design to Industrial Design.
Will it be art? Will it push boundaries? Will it tell a story?
I believe Art2Wear will be all of that and more – a celebration of style, art, and talent.