Showcasing Fashion

Andrea Kleffner salvaged a deteriorating, British dress dating back to the reign of King Edward VII and remade it into contemporary and comfortable clothing.

Kleffner, of Kuna, is among nine student designers, under the guidance of Assistant Professor Lori Wahl, who will display their Apparel, Textiles and Design (ATD) Senior Design capstone projects at the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center, 411 S. Main St., from April 28 through May 9. A public closing reception is scheduled for 5-7 p.m. May 9 at the chamber office.

The capstone project challenges seniors to integrate knowledge and techniques from their ATD courses into a single apparel collection consisting of four different looks. Students are required to incorporate sustainable aspects into their collections, such minimizing waste, considering circular lifecycle solutions or careful selection of materials. The project's intent is to showcase ATD program knowledge in combination with individual interests as students design, develop and produce their collections.

The dress Kleffner used for her project was a popular style in the United Kingdon from 1901 through 1910. Professor Sonya Meyer, collections manager of the Leila Old Historic Costume Collection, informed Kleffner that the dress was deteriorating due to age and overcrowded storage conditions and was no longer useable for collection purposes. Kleffner was delighted by the opportunity to keep the dress out of a landfill.

Other designers and their projects featured in the showcase include:

• Kaitlyn Weak, Eagle — A women’s paddleboard swim line
• Neida Romo, Wendell — A modular clothing system designed to be worn in several ways
• Paige Householder, Newbury Park, California — Clothing with a retro aesthetic fit for hiking and camping
• Shelby Davis, Moscow — Rugged clothing made from recycled denim
• Vivian Kuhner, Prescott, Arizona — A western-themed 1990s streetwear collection, including adaptive jeans that can be opened from the side with magnets
• Bella Hammerle, Moscow — Clothing designed to bring comfort and confidence to those who struggle with dexterity or are recovering from a medical procedure
• Anthony Gonzalez, Roberts — Sophisticated all-day garments that allow the modern man to “bike to work, power through the day and transition into evening with style”
• Audrey Hawes, Seattle — Clothing made with alternative down filling

New for this year’s senior apparel design showcase, each student was paired with an industry sponsor, such as Optitex, Northwest River Supply and Cotopaxi. Sponsors each drafted a brief containing a design challenge impacting the apparel industry today and provided mentorship and guidance during the course.

“Working with sponsors has allowed the students to show off their design problem-solving skills as they tackle some very real issues with modern apparel while producing creative projects that reflect their individuality,” Wahl said. “I am very grateful for the time, knowledge and experience our industry sponsors gave to the students.”

A few sponsors also provided textiles for students to use. Cotopaxi, for example, sent boxes of textile swatches to Paige Householder and challenged her to make garments from them.

“I intentionally designed each garment in a way that can be worn at the campsite, on the trails or around town,” Householder wrote in a designer statement about her project. “Each look has a detachable, reusable bag thoughtfully designed into the look for the wearer’s convenience.”