The 2022 Upcycled Fashion Show
Art Made Upcycled Fashion
Join ArtPop Street Gallery for a night of fashion, fun, and frivolity. We'll take you behind the scenes of the 2022 ArtPop Upcycled Fashion Show and introduce you to the talented designers who created this year's stunning pieces of Upcycled Fashion.
All event proceeds directly support the ArtPop mission of showcasing local artists and making art accessible to all. As you delve into the show, consider making a donation to foster the arts in your community.
CITIES PROGRAM BILLBOARD
Artwork by Jesse Carkin
UPCYCLED FASHION PIECE
Designed by Itala Flores
What is the ArtPop Upcycled Fashion Show?
The ArtPop Upcycled Fashion Show is an annual exhibition of 12 designers' work created from untraditional, repurposed materials - in this case, retired billboard vinyls printed with original artwork from the #ArtPopCLT Cities Program. This facet of our Upcycling Initiative gives new life to the art while helping us reduce the environmental impact of our program - and makes for a fantastic evening to remember.
Now, let's walk the runway and meet our 12 fashion designers!
An Underwater Masterpiece | Designer Angela Kollmer
With a history in the performing arts, designer Angela Kollmer began sewing to craft her own costumes. Angela took inspiration from the patterning and colors of Laura Brosi's clay piece. Using that inspiration, Angela created a modern interpretation of an octopus - with the piece's draping sleeves and train twirling into vinyl tentacles.
Costuming often plays with scale and theme to bring the vision to life while ensuring the design is still functional for the performer. Angela's model Sable used her ability to walk on pointe to create a captivating runway performance that drew the audience in and called to mind octopus anatomy.
Designer Angela Kollmer | Artist Laura Brosi | Model Sable
Don't Fly Too Close to the Sun | Designer Hasan Dirton
A feathered cocktail dress, designer Hasan Dirton's piece drew inspiration from the myth of Daedalus and his son Icarus. Imprisoned by the King of Crete in a tower of their own design following the construction of the maze-like fortress - the Labyrinth, father, and son made their escape on wings made from feathers and wax.
While this dress' feathers are made from billboard vinyl, they carry the same message - symbolic of the celebration of freedom from captivity and from "the problems that we create in our lives."
The mythical antidote also nods to Hasan's fashion label, House of Huebris, as Icarus' hubris in the story inspires the classic idiom "Don't fly too close to the sun."
Designer Hasan Dirton | Artist Greg Barnes | Model Alana Watkins
An Art-Deco Homage | Designer Kathy Phillips
Inspired by the stylized, geometric, and floral designs of art-deco era Russian-born, French designer Erté, Kathy Phillips' Upcycled piece creates a stunning silhouette representative of Erté's work - something theatrical yet elegant.
The boned bodice of the dress is accented with an oversized asymmetrical cuff. Moving through the piece, the overskirt falls in a pleated drape with a long train that showcases the beautiful ombre of color found in ArtPop Cities Program artist Cristina Montesinos' original piece. The final touches of the cummerbund and hand-beaded, oversized earrings help to complete this art-deco ensemble.
Designer Kathy Phillips | Artist Cristina Montesinos | Model Kelsey Davis
A Love of Fashion, Color, and Texture | Designer Anise Augustin
"A lover of fashion in all aspects," Anise shares that this love of all things fashion "makes it hard to narrow down my aesthetic." Regardless of the design, Anise's attention to detail and use of color and texture translate throughout her work.
Working from the tufted fiber artwork of Cities Program artist Cat Babbie, Anise was inspired by the physical medium of the fiber artist's craft and the very mood and essence of what the artwork invokes. Anise recalls wondering, "How can I possibly translate something so soft and textured in a medium that's so rigid and flat?"
Turning to a fabric manipulation technique, Anise began to mimic the texture of Cat's original work by steaming the billboard vinyl - making it more pliable to work with and ruching section after section, giving the illusion of movement and fluidity. She crafted the ruched vinyl into a suit - adding a touch of juxtaposition and humor to the piece by creating an outfit that is "the epitome of structure and rigidity" after working so "diligently to make the fabric appear visually soft."
In her ever-present attention to detail, Anise collaborated with fiber Artist Cat Babbie to create the perfect bag and accessory item - showing the artwork in its original medium.
Designer Anise Augustin | Artist Cat Babbie | Model Sydney Allen
Party Like It's 1785 | Designer Kendall Kendrick
While being a self-proclaimed middle-school Home Economics class failure, designer Kendall Kendrick's stunning craft and technical accuracy created a historical fashion piece we won't soon forget.
A hobby historical clothing maker, Kendall's most recent accomplishment in historical fashion was designing and sewing an 18th-century reproduction gown based on a costume from the Marie Antoinette movie and wearing it to the annual Fêtes Galantes ball at Châteaux de Versailles.
Kendall's fashion piece was designed with historical accuracy circa England 1785 - a reproduction of Robe a l'anglaise, residing in the collection of the Kyoto Costume Institute. Made of hand-painted silk imported from China, the original gown features motifs of flowers, butterflies, and birds.
The Peony ArtPop Cities Program billboard vinyl by Barbara Mellin features Asian brush painting, the same technique used on the Chinese silk sold to the west in the 18th century. Barbara Mellin's peony brush illustrations and the reproduction Robe a l'anglaise are the perfect marriage of art, fashion, and history.
Designer Kendall Kendrick | Artist Barbara Mellin | Model Kendall Kendrick
Memories of Home | Designer Edelweiss Vogel
Edelweiss Vogel, a visual artist and art educator grew up in the Philippines and moved to the United States of America when she was 18. She has a BFA degree in studio arts with a concentration in illustration and K-12 Art Education Graduate Certificate. Edelweiss teaches visual art at Brawley IB World School in Iredell, NC, and is a Cities Program Class of 2022 artist.
Edelweiss’s love for fashion started at a young age after watching her grandmother make dresses for one of the well-known designers in the Philippines, making her first dress at 13 to wear during the United Nations Day in school. Edelweiss enjoys making Avant-Garde dresses from unconventional and recycled/collected materials, including participation in the 2019 Paris Fashion Week in Paris, hosted by Oxford Studio and sponsored by Opera Carolina.
For her showcased work at our Upcycled Fashion Show, Edelweiss wanted to celebrate and highlight the identity of Filipino women. Her concept is a traditional dress in the Philippines. It shows a puffy butterfly sleeve blouse and a long skirt. Originating in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, this dress is worn for important events. Fun fact - traditionally, the fabric is made from pineapple fiber! Another excellent example of sustainability in fashion! Continuing on creative roots to home, Edelweiss's art was featured in the Philippines on digital billboards earlier this year through our Cities Program.
Designer Edelweiss Vogel | Artist Caroline Rust | Model Eilleen De Guzman
Street Art, Street Fashion, Street Gallery! | Designer Jennifer Gilomen
This dynamic pant-top-jacket ensemble was created by an ArtPop Street Gallery Cities Program Alum artist, Board Member, and Fashion Show event committee member! A professional artist since 1993, Jennifer Gilomen has explored mixed media, collage, painting, sewing, fabric design, fashion design, and icon writing.
For her Upcycled Fashion Show design, Jennifer was inspired by a mural that Shepard Fairey (@obeygiant) and his crew painted in Rock Hill, SC, at the Mercantile. A person who creates graffiti art is sometimes called a "bomber." Using the leftover stencil trash from the Rock Hill mural, Jennifer created a bomber jacket that she gifted to Shepard. Her 3-piece ensemble – a cropped top, bomber jacket, and opera gloves - celebrates the graffiti art culture by paying homage to the bomber jacket look.
Designer Jennifer Gilomen | Artist Holly Keogh | Model Elena Malicki
The Met meets MoMA | Designer Margaret Fleeman
Textile designer and fine art painter Margaret Fleeman is passionate about sustainability. Margaret's work uses the abstract and representational language of symbolism as a vehicle for capturing an iconographic roadmap of self-expression. Her passion for the environment and concern for the impending impacts of climate change compelled Margaret to explore the issues of textile recycling and potential circular solutions, utilizing her education, industry experience, and sustainability knowledge.
Titled "The Met meets MoMA," her piece for our 2022 Upcycled Fashion Show was inspired by the grandeur and elegance of the Met Gala ballroom gowns, taking styling cues from a Vogue pattern designed in 1958 by John Cavanagh of England.
Known for his keen eye for cut and line, Cavanagh promoted the full-skirt and round-shouldered looks and was renowned for his elegant tailoring, sense of color, and sense of chic. Margaret transformed Mikel Frank's (@mikelfranksart) billboard into her statement billboard fashion. Paired with the expressionism of Mikel'spainterly markings, Margaret brought a modern take to vintage styling as this piece unfolded into its own creation! The headpiece is a vintage style complemented by design details of the 50s using netting and feathers.
Designer Margaret Fleeman | Artist Mikel Frank | Model Addie Bahr
Shine On | Designer Isiah Miller
Discovering his love for fashion at a young age, Isiah Miller taught himself to sew after growing tired of not finding clothing and accessories in his style of choice. Today, he is a clothing designer and creative director who started "Eye Miller LLC," formerly known as "Vintage Suede."
Consisting of everyday casual wear t-shirts and custom and unique designs, Eye Miller prides itself on being an inclusive brand with something for EVERYONE! Isiah's design for our 2022 ArtPop Upcycled Fashion Show design was inspired by the landscape displayed in his selected billboard artwork. Taking inspiration from the sky, Isiah decided to design a spin on the mindset that "the sky's the limit."
It inspired him to create this gown and jacket to signify BLOOM and be a wildflower in a world full of roses. Isiah says, "Shine on."
Designer Isiah Miller | Artist Deborah Triplett | Model DaNavia Chantel Huntley
Yin and Yang | Designer Itala Flores
Meet the work of Itala Flores, a mixed media artist and fashion designer native to Venezuela. A 2017 #ArtPopCLT Cities Program alum, Itala has a long history of working in fashion from fashion weeks in Charlotte, New York, Charleston, and Paris.
Itala created her "Yin and Yang" Upcycled Fashion Show ballgown using vinyl pieces from Jesse Carkin's billboard. Shaped in a layered design, her creation includes approximately 400 hand-cut vinyl petals!
Inspired by the Chinese philosophical concept of "yin and yang," this dress represents the universe creating itself from chaos and keeps moving until finding balance.
She took advantage of the black and white of the billboard artwork (appropriately named Salt and Pepper) to work with these opposing philosophical forces. The Yin, or the dark side, is associated with everything hard, cold, wet, and feminine. The Yang, or light side, is associated with things soft, positive, warm, and masculine.
Designer Itala Flores | Artist Jesse Carkin | Model Amelia Lachoski
Amadeus Wonka V | Designer Bunny Gregory and Nkengi Freeman
Meet "Amadeus Wonka the 5th!" Designed by Bunny Gregory (@ug_battleofthearts) in collaboration with her daughter, Nkengi Freeman (@goldy.lox3), this piece is a deconstructed tuxedo-style coat with exaggerated shoulders and a seven-foot train. Underneath is a corset/codpiece and a pair of strappy, straight-leg pants, all fantastically modeled by Tra-Aun Green (@traaungreen).
Bunny's work ranges from fashion to murals under her business Mural Ninjas (@mural_ninjas) with her co-founder MyLoan Dinh - an ArtPop alum! Bunny is heavily influenced by Afrocentric culture, addressing racial and economic disparity issues.
Designer Bunny Gregory and Nkengi Freeman | Artist Bree Stallings | Model Tra-Aun Green
Our fashion show’s final design was created by Melissa Crosson (@melissacrossonart), our first-ever Catawba County Cities Program artist! While her #ArtPopCLT billboard displays her painting work, fashion first introduced Melissa to the joy of creativity. Whether sewing, crafting, drawing, or painting, Melissa says making art is vital to her being.
She says, "This event tonight is a celebration of the marriage between fashion and art, a beautiful union from which the path toward my own career as an artist first emerged." Melissa recently launched "Nomadic Artist Street Wear" (@nomadicartiststreetwear), adding her patchwork style to one-of-a-kind clothes in a way that really brings her artistic path full circle.
Inspired by couture fashion, Melissa created this dress tonight from Elaine Stephenson's (@artsy_elaine) ArtPop Atlanta billboard with a single mission to make Sharon Dowell (@sharon_dowell), her model and 2014 ArtPop artist, feel like she's the only star in the room!
Designer Melissa Crosson | Artist Elaine Stephenson | Model Sharon Dowell
DESIGNERS
Angela Kollmer
Hasan Dirton
Kathy Phillips
Anise Augustin
Kendall Kendrick
Edelweiss Vogel
Jennifer Gilomen
Margaret Fleeman
Isiah Miller
Itala Flores
Bunny Gregory
& Nkengi Freeman
Melissa Crosson
MODELS
Sable
Alana Watkins
Kelsey Davis
Sydney Allen
Kendall Kendrick
Eilleen De Guzman
Elena Malicki
Addie Bahr
DaNavia Chantel Huntley
Amelia Lachoski
Tra-Aun Green
Sharon Dowell
ARTISTS
Laura Brosi
Greg Barnes
Cristina Montesinos
Cat Babbie
Barbara Mellin
Caroline Rust
Holly Keogh
Mikel Frank
Deborah Triplett
Jesse Carkin
Bree Stallings
Elaine Stephenson
HOSTED BY:
Ohavia Phillips
VIDEO BY:
Hakim Media Productions
PHOTOGRAPHED BY:
Alex Cason Photography
Tim O’Connell
Anonymous Donor
David Feldman