This year, the Fashion Graphics class at MICA presents collections aimed at diverse audiences, with special messages embedded in the concept, design and production of the pieces. The work falls into four broad categories, from socio-political concerns and cultural symbology, to redefining luxury and solving life's problems.

Some messages are more pointed then others. Peter Shenk's CFD t-shirts question censorship. Lo Ashford's Click Wisely totes link human trafficking to online entertainment. Eric Rivera's Wood Eat cutting boards promote healthy cooking and recycling. And that's just a few.

Cultural signs and symbols feature prominently in another group of projects. With her Pagi journals, adorned with Islamic-inspired patterns, Yugsha Zia promotes keeping in touch through writing, be it hand written or typed on a screen. Anna Jiang, on the other hand, distills Chinese symbols into simple patterns, spray-painted onto t-shirts, giving an ancient culture a hip, urban feel. RIPRBF, Lauren Burleigh's hand sewn, custom printed tops, examine contemporary culture and question the effect of emojis on our own facial expressions.

Yet another section of work delves into the psyche, exploring wells of emotion and pleasure, with collections that reinvent luxury for today's fashionista. With Flesh, Abby Sergent makes lingerie out of vintage fabrics and custom-printed lining. Inspired by psychotherapy, Charlie Rincon-Rodriguez adornes tops with Rorschach tests, while Yuming Lang evokes cinematic classics such as Rashomon and Jules et Jim with his minimalist, black and white t-shirts. Brit Kolich's Les Doux Caprices collection revisits sensuality from a silk-and-butterfly-graphics point of view, while with Comedy of Errors, Aja Bivens presents embroidered raincoats, infusing the everyday with a welcome dose of absurdity.

The remaining collections seek to address life's conundrums through colorful patterning, inventive use of common materials, or humorous problem solving. With Musuko Musume, Cindy Hsu dresses up motherhood with bright and colorful baby wraps. Sarah Hasset's LASSO belts turn lengths of humble rope from the hardware store into couture belts, while Sheena Crawley's Alpha Beta shirts bring letterforms into the realm of fashion. Finally, going through a rough patch? No worries, Alison Baskerville's Sad Girl ice-cream pint cozies are sure to cheer you up. Dig in.

Zvezdana Stojmirovic
Faculty, Graphic Design
MICA