The fashion show held by the Department of Fashion Design at Shenkar College of Engineering and Design was not only inspiring, but also well crafted and tailored. They say that when the cannon roar the muses are silent. If this is true, then it’s fortunate that the cannon roared after the muses spoke, or in the case of Shenkar’s the new Department of Fashion Design graduates – shouted.
The Shenkar fashion show was the last in a series of graduate shows held by the leading fashion design departments in Israel, alongside Bezalel and WIZO Haifa. At the end of the show it seemed that the forty graduates were a worthy conclusion, and they managed to make the spectators forget, if only for a moment, the threat of the rockets outside. The collections were colorful, diverse, esthetic, and interesting. The graduates managed to create an array of collections presenting a balance between commercial garments and garments that almost touch the category of wearable art, between innovative style and fashion victim. Alongside the evident investment in developing sources of inspiration and unique textile developments, the technical aspect was not absent, and models in well-sewn and exceptionally well-fitted garments walked down the runway. The result was spectacular.
It wasn’t easy, but we have selected the particularly striking collections (a video of the fashion show is available at the end of the article).
Golan Taub | A New Layer
Initial thoughts: Tribal, playfulness, sculpted, colorful, PVC, exaggeration, blow-up.
Made an impression on us: This collection, inspired by the shoguns, the warriors of Imperial Japan who established their identity as warriors with threatening and intimidating costumes, opened the show. We didn’t quite recognize the shogun, and we didn’t really feel threatened or intimidated, but the collection did raise a smile. It reminded us that ultimately fashion is just clothes; that sometimes you don’t have to take them so incredibly seriously, but rather find the amusement and playfulness in them.
A flash of genius: The silhouettes were exaggerated, the PVC was insane, the colors dazzling, and we actually thought the inspiration was Playmobil…
Mor Lumbroso
Initial thoughts: Monochrome, origami, folds, latent minimalism, stitching, softness, sophisticated urbanism.
Made an impression on us: The collection, inspired by the world of dance, gives expression to the dancer’s movements that are hidden from the audience during his performance. In the garments, rhythm, breathing, pulses, and cyclic movements were translated into repetitive folds and embroidery with reflector thread. It is very easy to fall into the trap of the “show” in graduate shows, overloaded collections are often reminiscent of “grasp all – lose all”, but this one successfully manages to stretch the other, delicate and minimalistic, side.
A flash of genius: The repetitive geometric references using varying techniques – stitching, panels, folds, cuts, and transparencies, coupled with a balance between delicate and heavy fabrics, and the abstract prints, produced a collection that is captivating in its calm.
Daniel Doron | The Final Frontier
Initial thoughts: Depths, digital printing, colorfulness, psychedelic, Alexander McQueen, diving.
Made an impression on us: A sense of adventure, danger, and the thrill of maritime adventures were translated into fashionable garments designed for the extreme female traveler and lovers of swim and surf wear. The way Doron has managed to imbue style and innovation in one the most difficult areas for innovation, is impressive. The intriguing prints are her own design, and were sublimation and digitally printed on Neoprene, French Terry, Lycra, and nylon.
A flash of genius: Successfully incorporating a little modesty in beachwear, and relinquishing the hackneyed bikini.
Lina Abas | Umm Kulthum
Initial thoughts: White, geometric, minimalistic, textile developments, complex cuts, cleanliness.
Made an impression on us: Every year there is at least one all-white collection, and it never manages to hold up against the others, and certainly not surpass them. Abas has succeeded where many before her have failed, and created a beautiful, delicate, and powerful collection inspired by Umm Kulthum. Textile developments, and cuts ranging from close-fitting to loose, from modest to implied, all contributed to making this collection interesting. Technical meticulousness and perfect fits created a look that was both well-crafted and at the same time uninhibited.
A flash of genius: An exciting, fascinating, clean collection, each of whose elements is spectacular.
Maya Azan | Know, Now & No
Initial thoughts: Bold, brave, pink, orange, fashion production, striking, gift wrap.
Made an impression on us: Azan’s collection was striking in its boldness. The wide, exaggerated cuts wander far away from the body, creating a slight sense of confusion. Delicate ruffles from the world of undergarments that usually give a sense of romance and femininity, transform in this collection into huge details, distorting the body and changing the familiar feminine silhouette. Use of a limited and unconventional palette of strong colors – pink and orange – made the collection exceptionally memorable.
A flash of genius: The styling in this collection – on the one hand sport shoes, and on the other bridal bouquets in matching colors – made us wonder where the models were going…
Noa Raviv | Hard Copy
Initial thoughts: 3D, folds, pleats, ruffles, opaque, transparent, layers, architecture, lines, calligraphy, sketching, computerized.
Made an impression on us: The collection, which was designed in response to the question, What is the value of an original object in an era of duplication and replication? was original, interesting, and different. Objects printed in 3D from plastic materials were incorporated into the outfits in this collection to create new silhouettes, and prove that the future is already here, without relinquishing the garments’ fashion element.
A flash of genius: Following this impressive collection, Raviv won the Finy Leitersdorf Prize for 2014.
It is interesting to note the hat trend in the show. Three of the graduates designed hats as part of their collections. Quite surprisingly, and contrary to the fedoras and Panama hats of recent years, these hats were a kind of interesting development of travel and hiking hats.
