Signature Collection 2010
I was interested in designing a collection based on those small moments that seagway the events of your life. Urban travels often inspire and bewitch my senses. I make a habit of giving into the daydreams during the less frequent times in between times.
Walking to the same place, during my everyday routine, I started to recognize a group of pigeons based on their individual markings. I loved the little white patches (pied) that peppered the “family” that lived on this particular stretch of this particular alleyway, and I decided to base the collection on their markings, and on the colors of pigeons in general.
This newfound interest in street fowl lead me to the story of Cher Ami…
“Cher Ami, French for “dear friend” was the name of a passenger Pigeon in World War One who saved the lives of an American battalion from their Own -who were dropping artillery on them accidently. Earning a Purple Heart, Cher Ami bravely flew a message that had their exact location as well as this note: ‘For Heaven Sake, Stop Shooting at Us’.”
With respect and admiration for the pigeons growing in my heart, my next step was to translate this to the closet. I asked my self, “who is your “dear friend?”. I answered by putting on my sweat pants… which, in turn, made me realize that they were pretty amazing as well! Pigeons and sweatpants… I can do that right?
This collection is made entirely from “basic” fabrics like jersey knit, french terry and cotton muslin in a heather grey, plain white and black. I wanted the comfort and familiarity of them to blend with an artistic, avant garde aesthetic. It is important to me that the clothing is somewhat accessible to a wider audience, so I added more street, more sweet, and tried to hone in on useful transformations, yet retained an original take on fashion as art.
Models (in order of appearance)
Blair Griffith: Recently graduated Cum Laude from the Art Institute of Colorado with a degree in Fashion Retail Management. She is holds the title of Miss Lakewood, and models and works for local fashion designers and show producers.
Janna Friedland: Has a degree in Integrative Physiology. She plans on channeling this degree into a small business that would help seniors with moderate exercise programs to aid their overall health and maintain a functioning physique.
Mira Totaro-Bloom: Is a Denver Native, and a fun loving girl who is interested in travel. She is interested in photography, theater arts, and loves good food and better company.
Jen Zang: Moved to America when she was 11 to live in Maui. She is now an International Business Student at University of Denver, and enjoys modeling in her spare time.
Mickey Marccucci: Is a very talented fashion designer focused in the action sports industry. She loves winter sports and Colorado living.
Liz Vranesh: Traded in a traditional education to pursue her dream of fashion show production. She lives in Denver Colorado, and likes to sky dive.
Liz Farell: Is a chef at a local eatery and a small “sausage” operation called divine swine where she will sell you amazing house made sausage. She is also an avid gardener and likes tattoos and getting dressed up, as she spends most of her days in a chef coat!
Kevin Hoth a multimedia artist, commercial photographer, and photography professor. Born and raised in Wisconsin, Kevin has since lived in Spain, Nantucket Island, South Carolina, Georgia, Washington State, Colorado, New Mexico, regular Mexico, and some other places… now resides in Boulder, Colorado.
Earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Art, Kevin drove and photographed the American West for a year. Formalized study in color photography and printing led him to the University of Washington in Seattle. While attending the UW masters degree program in Photography, he worked as a faculty technology liaison at the Center for Advanced Research Technology in the Arts and Humanities (CARTAH) and became enamored with digital video. After graduate school he worked in digital video art for several years and collaborated extensively with modern dance companies, musicians and other visual artists. He is now focusing his work primarily in still photography.
Using traditional and digital photographic technologies creatively since 1995, Kevin has exhibited photography, digital images, video, and solo performance work in over 70 exhibitions around the U.S. He has taught design, digital art, photography and multimedia software at The Art Institute of Charleston, The University of Washington, The University of Georgia, The Citadel, The Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, and The Art Institute of Colorado.
