Ali Kushner – SAIC Fashion Show 2023

Student Work

Ali Kushner

akushn@artic.edu

alikushnerdesign.com/4106398

When it comes to design, my main goal is to form a deeper connection with the materials and the audience. I seek to better understand the effects of a fabric or medium, as well as the needs of the people I’m working with in order to create a meaningful piece. It’s because of this that textile exploration and interaction are so important to me.

Textiles have a great impact not just on the creation of a collection, but on the environment during production and after disposal. By paying attention to how we use and reuse materials, one can create unique pieces while also being mindful of this impact. Within my own practice, I love to work with natural dyes, recycled materials, and transformational processes. Most recently I’ve been repurposing scraps into patchwork textiles and hand-spun yarns, which fuels my material stash and creative process.

Communication and collaboration are also central to my design process. When I create a garment, I want the person wearing it to feel heard throughout the piece’s progression. I aim to accommodate all body types and needs with my garments, preferring to work on a one-on-one basis with clients.

Ali Kushner - Full Excessibility Collection

Full Excessibility Collection, Photographer: Katie Murray (@katie.jmurray) Models (left to right): Lex Chilson (@verytinygalaxy), anonymous model, Angela Golota (@katyonok.belka), Garnet Williams (@itstransfat), Marisa Pelegrino (@_marisaaa23), and Paarshav Shah (@paarshav_shah)

Models Lex Chilson, anon, Angela Golota, Garnet Williams, Marisa Pelegrino and Paarshav Shah show the full Excessibility collection (further explanation of garments in individual photos). Photoshoot directed by Katie Murray.

Ali Kushner - Excessibility Look 1

Excessibility Look 1, Photographer: Katie Murray (@katie.jmurray) Model: Lex Chilson (@verytinygalaxy)

Lex wears a scrap wave blazer made of honeycomb printed cotton, pink wool crepe, giraffe-spot printed cotton, blue wool crepe, and burgundy cotton fabric. Underneath, she wears a floor-length landfill patchwork dress of various fabrics, as well as a landfill patchwork mask and patchwork spats. In the left image, she holds the landfill print handbag in her right hand.

Ali Kushner - Excessibility Look 2

Excessibility Look 2, Photographer: Katie Murray (@katie.jmurray) Model: Paarshav Shah (@paarshav_shah)

Paarshav wears scrap wave trousers made of pink wool crepe, dark denim, giraffe spot printed cotton, burgundy cotton, floral printed cotton, and blue wool crepe, with the corduroy jacket sewn on the back. Over this, he wears a scrap knit top of various yarns, and landfill patchwork spats. He holds the compactor cube handbag in his right hand.

Ali Kushner - Excessibility Look 3

Excessibility Look 3, Photographer: Katie Murray (@katie.jmurray) Model: Anonymous

Model, sitting in her power chair, wears a landfill patchwork top and patchwork pants made of various fabrics. For accessories, she wears a landfill patchwork wig, spats and mask. In the background, one can see her discarded custom hot pink wool-crepe trousers, flying the right, and a cube cover made of scrap-woven fabric (aka “scrapestry”) on the floor.

Ali Kushner - Excessibility Look 4

Excessibility Look 4, Photographer: Katie Murray (@katie.jmurray) Model: Angela Golota (@katyonok.belka)

Angela, standing with her hands on her waist, wears a landfill patchwork corset dress with an asymmetric hem made of various fabrics, and patchwork spats. Beside her are the discarded Valentine coat and olive trouser, both ready-to-wear collection pieces.

Ali Kushner - Excessibility Look 5

Excessibility Look 5, Photographer: Katie Murray (@katie.jmurray) Model: Marisa Pelegrino (@_marisaaa23)

Marisa wears a double-cube dress made of scrap-woven fabric, and patchwork spats. Underneath, she wears a scrap wave fringe dress made of bubblegum pink wool crepe, burgundy cotton fabric, blue wool crepe, light pink linen fabric, and giraffe-spot printed cotton. In front of her, the the left image, is the compactor cube bag.

Ali Kushner - Excessibility Look 6

Excessibility Look 6, Photographer: Katie Murray (@katie.jmurray) Model: Garnet Williams (@itstransfat)

Garnet, sitting in their power chair, wears a masked scrap knit dress of various yarns. For accessories, they wear landfill patchwork wig and spats. In the left image, a corset with the circle coat and a kid’s orange fuzzy jacket attached over the bust and waist lays discarded on the floor next to them. In the right image, a rag rug train made of various fabrics (made by Envision Unlimited) is attached to the back of their chair.

Ali Kushner - Landfill Patchwork Backpack

Landfill Patchwork Backpack, Backpack with three drawstring compartments, made of various fabrics with a cotton gabardine lining and drawstrings, and magnetic snaps on strap ends. Made for the Accessory Design class as part of the Excessibility collection.

Ali Kushner - Compactor Cube Bag

Compactor Cube Bag, Cube bag made of scrap-woven fabric with a cotton gabardine lining, magnetic closures, and a repurposed hanger handle. Made for the Accessory Design class as part of the Excessibility collection.

Ali Kushner - Landfill Print Bags

Landfill Print Bags, Landfill print tote and landfill print crossbody, made of printed canvas with faux leather handles and cotton gabardine linings, magnetic snap closures, and a braided yarn crossbody strap. The right-most image shows the original marker for fabric printing. Made for the Virtual Flat to Form class as part of the Excessibility collection.

Excessibility Performance Video (2 mins)
Models emerge one by one from fabric piles, revealing their looks before moving off-camera.

Designer and stylist – Ali Kushner
Videographer – Varya Bazalev
Music – “Dichotomy” by Copse
Models (in order of appearance) – Lex Chilson, Paarshav Shah, Alexis Smith, Angela Golota, Marisa Pelegrino, and Garnet Williams

Excessibility Presentation Video (2 mins)
Designer, Ali Kushner, describes her Excessibility collection.

EXCESSIBILITY

Within the fashion world, there are massive problems with excess of clothing, and yet simultaneously, the lack of access to it. Our industry is one of the most wasteful in the world, with 85 percent of all clothing ending up in landfills. Those who can afford it buy fast fashion, which they consume and dispose at a rapid rate. But what about people who don’t have the means to buy new clothes or fit certain kinds of clothing? With the cost of some fashion outlets, the growing gentrification of affordable clothing sources such as thrift stores, and the difficulty of wearing pieces designed solely for young, thin and nondisabled bodies, fashion has become both excessive and inaccessible. My goal is to both raise awareness of this issue through a strong visual collection, and do a small part to combat the lack of affordable and disability-accessible clothing by donating some of my adaptive ready-to-wear pieces.

This collection wouldn’t be possible without the help of so many wonderful people. I’d like to thank my friends and classmates for generously giving their spare fabrics, without which the collection would’ve been quite sparse; the incredible artists of Envision Unlimited, specifically Celestine Carmichael, Sharon Bennett, Rachel Smith, Deanna Everheart, Raven Gosha and Marjorie Cheers, for creating the finale train; my models for supporting my vision and putting on an amazing show; and my family, for always standing by me.

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