2018 Designer Profiles: Kathryn Hicks
Every year, the MODA Fashion Show wraps up winter quarter with the perfect homage to student talent, hard work and creativity. In anticipation of this year's show, we have interviewed some of the designers involved. Meet Kathryn Hicks, a 3rd year Chemistry and Philosophy double major from Morris Plains, NJ. She's also our Arts/Campus/Entertainment section editor for the blog!
What inspired your collection? How have these inspirations manifested themselves in your work?
My collection is a spin on the concept of "vices" and all the strenuous odds and ends that float through the minds of stressed out college students. I'd say that my inspiration loosely came from a minor existential crisis about how much I hated inorganic chemistry despite my major and desperately wanted a creative release. The main ideal behind the collection is defying norms, not only in the use of non-conventional materials but also in the semi-risque and edgy nature of the materials themselves. The three piece collection builds exaggerated and geometric silhouettes from pill bottles, condoms, cigarettes, and neon lights.
some very (very, very) initial sketches
Have you ever done design or garment construction work before? What have you found most rewarding about the design process?
alas, this is the only surviving image of the cursed, yellow fleece jump suit
Back in the day, I would sew a bunch of random pieces on my mother's sewing machine, starting with a huge yellow fleece jumpsuit for a Dr. Seuss's Sneetch Halloween costume (ahh, yes, a trip down memory lane to the embarrassing days of middle school in finding this image...) and learning to hem and patch holes in cheap Forever21 garments. I like to think that I have a knack for piecing things together and drawing outside the lines (metaphorically speaking, of course, I essentially sleep with a thoroughly synced iCal and meticulous to-do list) and designing fashion pieces allows me to express myself in a very outwards manner. Given my annoyingly perfectionist organization habits, I find the creativity and relief of designing, altering details here and there, and watching pieces come together by far the most rewarding aspect of the entire design process.
What are you most excited for when it comes to the big day? Do you have plans to continue working with fashion, in any way, in the future?
As simple as it is, I'm honestly most excited to watch my models carry my pieces down the runway. Being a model last year and finding the whole experience completely energizing and uplifting, I am very thrilled to watch the entire procession from the other end. While I don't have any real plans on working in fashion in the future (I've been bitten by the grad school bug, unfortunately), I am very keen on keeping sewing and creating designs alive as a passion and much needed relief from the strictness of chemistry.
