长者与充电器社区分享艺术和设计项目

Angelina Morales '24 has always been interested in fashion – so much so that she learned to sew in order to make her own clothes. She enjoyed altering 和 upcycling her clothes to personalize them 和 make them feel unique.

当莫拉莱斯更了解快时尚的时候, a business model that focuses on quickly mass-producing clothing at a low cost in response to trends, 她开始对自己的爱好有了不同的看法. She realized that reconstructing old clothing into something new had a purpose – it was, 不像快时尚, 更具可持续性. 她说这让她的爱好更有意义了, 这也启发了她在大学的高级设计项目.

莫拉莱斯的项目在大学的展览会上展出 串线画廊 作为艺术与设计系高级展览的一部分, 一年一度的高年级学生顶点项目展示. 它包括专业学生的作品 平面设计, 艺术, 室内设计, enabling them to share their projects with the Charger community. Morales was excited to share her work, her inspiration, her passion.

"的 process of deconstructing 和 reconstructing clothing is so rewarding to me,莫拉莱斯说。, 应届平面设计专业毕业生. “它需要创造力来重新构想预制产品. Doing so really brings the life back into a garment that was no longer loved anymore. 当我看到一件衣服需要清洗时, 我的大脑开始重新想象它, 一旦我看到了幻象, 我把它带到了生活中."

Morales's project included a box of clothing that represented only a tiny fraction of a percentage of the clothing that is discarded in l和fills every year. She also presented an outfit made entirely out of recycled clothing items. It included a corset top made from a pair of sneakers 和 a purse constructed from material from a rain jacket. She also displayed an ottoman created from upholstery fabric samples 和 clear vinyl that she stuffed with scrap fabric. She hoped to demonstrate that upcycled clothing can be a zero-waste process that can indeed keep materials out of l和fills.

"I really hope my project was eye-opening to the people who buy clothes often, 尤其是快时尚, 也没有意识到他们支持的是什么,她说. "I would like to have made an impact on individuals to help them be more aware of the industry's secrets 和 to encourage them to support more sustainable br和s that will provide them with higher-quality products that were made with intention."

Morales's work was one of many remarkable projects that included a variety of media, 比如漫画书. Students explored important topics in their work, including vulnerability 和 menstruation.

One student conducted more than two dozen interviews with women of different ages in which she asked them about their experiences with menstruation. 的 student then compiled a book that focused on menstruation-related issues such as financial impact 和 social stigma. 的 康涅狄格尿布银行 提供2,000 menstruation kits with pads 和 tampons that were distributed at the gallery free of charge.

教授. 基因梅尔, a practitioner in residence in the University's Dep艺术ment of Art 和 Design, 对学生们的项目感到兴奋吗, 他很高兴有这么多充电器来看他们.

"的 opening reception was the largest turnout we've had in recent years," he said. “我们特别高兴的是 院长梅农 和 总统Frederiksen attended 和 were able to spend time talking with the students, family members, instructors."

For Morales, displaying her work in the gallery wasn't just exciting, it was transformative. When she saw the interest that her project generated 和 how it captivated her audience, 她意识到她想进一步分享她的工作. 她现在正计划扩大她的项目, 可能, explore collaborating with local businesses who share her vision.

"I never would have imagined that I would have married my skills of 平面设计 with fashion design, 但它们同样需要对细节的关注,她说. “学习做研究的设计过程, 创造一个想法, 必须把它画出来, 创建设计, 与我的听众分享让我为这项工作做好了准备."