RIT Student Designers Turn Paper into Fashion

Great Photo Opportunity!

It’s not what you’ll find on the fashion runways of Paris or Milan, but some student creations at Rochester Institute of Technology are no less eye-catching—even though the fabric is nearly 100 percent paper.

More than 200 first-year students from an RIT class in 3-D design will personally model their garments during an extravaganza from 7 to 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 19, in the Student Alumni Union cafeteria on RIT’s Henrietta campus.

Students have been challenged to create a costume made primarily of paper products, using an original design inspired by a specific historical period including ancient Egypt (3000-1069 B.C.), classical Greece (480-300 B.C.), Medieval/Gothic (1100-1400 A.D.), Baroque (1600-1800 A.D.) and Art Nouveau (1890-1915 A.D.).

"Using resources available in the library and through the Internet, students are responsible for researching an artistic style," says Steve Loar, associate professor of art foundations. "After describing the influences of that period, the essential features are then translated into paper form."

Each garment must physically cover two-thirds of the student’s body and incorporate texture and a variety of visual requirements—including shadow, transparency, translucency, opacity and reflectivity. Grades are based on the development of each design and the final product. Ribbons will be awarded for the best costumes.

This is the third consecutive year for the paper garment extravaganza, sponsored by RIT’s College of Imaging Arts and Sciences.

MEDIA NOTE: Students will gather on campus Saturday, Feb. 15, and Sunday, Feb. 16, to begin assembling their garments.