Last night, Craig Green made his debut as professor of the fashion
department at the University of Applied Arts Vienna: for the first time, the Show Modeklasse 2024 took place under
his direction in the university's atrium. Six graduates presented their final collections to around four hundred invited guests
and the looks of the thirty-two students from the first, second and third year could also be admired on the runway.
To focus on the essence of the design process, the eleven first-year students created a look
entirely in shades of white. And the students of the second and third year impressed the audience as well with their creative
diversity and originality: experimental silhouettes, avant-garde cuts, surprising materials, sophisticated reinterpretations
- under Craig Green, there are no limits to artistic freedom in the fashion department and accordingly, the younger generations
sent out a strong signal that they are a force to be reckoned with in the future.
Awards
The
prizes were also awarded during the fashion show: Oliver Kuzma convinced the jury of the RONDO Fashion Award 2024 powered
by Polestar with the kind support of the Vienna Business Agency with his diploma collection SPLEEN. The Baudelaire
fan describes the writer's poem "Spleen" as his catalyst. He meticulously researched the production and pattern construction
of historical garments from the repertoire of classic menswear. In his graduation collection, the young designer placed particular
emphasis on subtle details, such as the sloping of shoulder sections, in order to ultimately achieve the perfect fit. Details
that are not visible at first glance, but can be seen, felt and above all worn on closer inspection. Kuzma received the prize
of € 5,000 for his final collection and is delighted to have his designs published in the current issue of RONDO.
The
collections of two promising students were honoured with the THE MALL Wien Mitte Award in the amount of € 2,500:
Marie Matondo Nsimba from the second year receives € 1,000 and Felix Schmidt from the third year € 1,500. Both of them impress
with their enormous creative potential.
Diplomas
The Show Modeklasse
2024 marked the symbolic completion of their studies at the Angewandte for six graduates. In addition to Oliver Kuzma,
the winner of the RONDO Fashion Award 2024 powered by Polestar with the kind support of the Vienna Business Agency,
Martyna Bierut is also graduating from Modeklasse. In her collection "I gave up counting", she addresses the division
of labour linked to heteronormative gender systems and sets an example for a feminist future with crocheted looks in organic
shapes. "Here just to scream" is the title of Yuliya Hlazun's collection, which uses oversized sequins and flowing,
draped silhouettes to celebrate an existential, creative state that oscillates between despair and joie de vivre. With her
collection "Unpicking Memories", Alissa Herbig breaks through traditional gender narratives surrounding Austrian
traditional costumes, the “Trachten”. Driven by her queer-feminist understanding of fashion design, Herbig's diploma collection
celebrates traditional craftsmanship as a symbol of female care work and emancipative practices. Viola Kollár has given her
collection the title "Today": The looks and accessories are based on an in-depth exploration of her own style, which
the designer has refined over the years on numerous forays through flea markets and vintage shops.
In her graduation
collection "Maybe It's All Just a Dream in the End", Pouran Parvizi questions the power of gaze regimes and creates
clothing that celebrates the many facets of femininity and the identity-creating, transformative potential of fashion design
in everyday life.
The graduates of the fashion design programme at the Angewandte underwent four
years of academic training, which enabled them to unfold their creative potential at the highest level of craftsmanship and
develop their own artistic signature. The University of Applied Arts Vienna is proud of the success of its graduates, who
are successful both internationally and nationally.
Please
make sure to include the correct photo credits, including the names of the designers and photographers.
