The Innovative Techniques Course in the Pamella Roland DeVos School of Fashion at Ferris State University’s Kendall College of Art & Design in Grand Rapids encourages students to create unique pieces with couture sewing techniques while incorporating unusual materials and emerging technology. Under the direction of Chair and Professor Lori Faulkner, students in the fashion studies program have used the genius of Lee Alexander McQueen as their inspiration for the ensembles.
On view through the end of Lee Alexander McQueen & Ann Ray: Rendez-Vous in GRAM’s third floor East Court.
MEET THE ARTISTS
Sarah Kuhnert, Innocence Interrupted, 2024. Leather, fiberglass screening, ribbon.
Artist Statement:
Alexander McQueen to me means deconstruction, juxtaposition, and ingenuity. I wanted to reference McQueen while staying true to myself and my own style. The base layer of my design is made from hand-stitched fiberglass screening. The outer layer is made of leather, cut open to reveal the mesh screening, and laced up with metal grommets and contrasting pink ribbon.
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Zayne Cutrara, Bleeding Faces, 2024. Plaid cotton fabric, lycra polyester fabric, leather, glass beads, embroidery thread, acrylic.
Artist Statement:
I was inspired by the silhouette of Alexander McQueen’s Spring/Summer 1999 dress titled No. 13, and plaid garments, especially from the Highland Rape collection. For my garment, I used leather for the first time and created a belt closure for the top of my dress. I finished all the edges of the leather with hand embroidery. For the face details, I created vector files and cut them out of acrylic on a large laser cutter and beaded them onto string attaching them under the belt.
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Lili Castro, Afterlife, 2024. Animal bones, fiberglass screen, fabric.
Artist Statement:
My piece, inspired by Alexander McQueen’s Highland Rape collection from 1995, intertwines animal bones and fiberglass screen and a subtle floral pattern reflecting themes of not only darkness and death but showing dimension and fluidity that can also be seen within McQueen’s 1995 collection. I wanted to incorporate a floral pattern to symbolize fragility and the swift passage from life into death.
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Lili Castro, Flourishing, 2024. Fabric, ribbon, metal boning.
Artist Statement:
Alexander McQueen was known for his innovative and boundary-pushing designs, especially when it came to corsets. The construction of these corsets was meticulous, with boning and shaping techniques that created dramatic silhouettes. I was heavily inspired by his pieces, and I wanted to create an ensemble that was inspired by him but also embodied some of my own design elements like the color and floral pattern.
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Grace Anderson, Antares, 2024. Laser embossed recycled polyester velvet, nylon jersey fabric, metal clasp.
Artist Statement:
Antares draws inspiration from Alexander McQueen’s exploration of history and religion in fashion. His creativity and intentionality, sometimes expressed through subtle drama, influenced the laser-embossed print featured on the cape. I used a laser cutting machine to emboss a repeating star pattern into velvet and completed the garment using couture hand-sewing techniques. The star motif comes from a tattoo on my arm that I digitally converted to be embossed into the fabric. This ensemble embodies the creation of a red star and the cosmic process of a star collapsing and transforming into a red giant.
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Reese Westmaas, Waterfowl, 2024. Stretch charmeuse satin, metal screen mesh, acrylic buttons and beads, glass beads, pearls.
Artist Statement:
The juxtaposition McQueen cemented between softness and ruggedness inspired me to use fluid, shiny satin, iridescent buttons and pearls, and feathers with metal screen mesh. I hand-sewed on all the buttons and beads and used the metal screen to create dimension and volume outside of the form.
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Zayne Cutrara, Bound in Time, 2024. Steel boning, cotton fabric, linen, eyelets, ribbon.
Artist Statement:
For this ensemble, I was inspired by Alexander McQueen’s 1996 collection titled Dante. The combination of both historical fashion with modern alternative fashion is one of my favorite types of styles. Bound in Time includes a late 18th-century corset alongside a white linen skirt paired with a modern large blouse. With nods to history the look still feels modern like many of McQueen’s designs.
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Lori Faulkner, Flight, 2024. Materials used: wool boucle, silk charmeuse, tulle, lace, metal mesh, feathers, leather trim, buttons.
Artist Statement:
Lee Alexander McQueen’s Spring/Summer 1995 Collection was named after the 1963 Alfred Hitchcock film, The Birds. Inspired by the collection and his love for tailoring, this ensemble was created with couture sewing techniques including a hand-stitched silk lining, silk lined pockets, hand-picked zipper and leather trim. McQueen was fascinated with birds and unique materials, so I used a metal mesh bodice exposing the soul with feathered wings for flight encouraging the wearer to rise above their circumstances.