Boston Fashion Week Ends With Independence

By Jordan Moncada— 09/30/10
As Boston Fashion Week came to a close, new designers were on the rise. For one night only 9 independent fashion designers from all over Boston came together to showcase their work. All were graduates of Massachusetts College of Art and Design. They had collaborated to make a fashion show called Rising Design. The show’s goal was to support local designers and art industry peers as well as display their latest collections.
Nothing about the Rising Design screamed typical fashion show. It was set in the Mobius Gallery where chairs were placed in a U formation leaving a large square in the middle of the floor instead of a classic cat walk. Rather than your typical stick-thin, tall runway models these models were all shapes, sizes and ethnicities. The fashion show gave off a relaxed and intimate vibe. The featured designers enjoyed the fact that the show was strictly for fun and to get their name out rather than a competition.
Each designer had a unique item to keep the show diverse and intriguing. Designer Marlon Costa’s collection, “She, the Rain,” was inspired by the Modernist Art Movement from the 1950s. Costa’s collection contained lots of blues, silvers and whites to resemble rain. Designer June Monteiro’s collection “Monarch” was inspired by the mourning clothes worn by Queen Victoria. Monteiro’s designs consisted of mainly blacks and deep purples.
Although the Rising Design fashion is over, these rising designers are just beginning. They are still in the process of completing their collections and launching their new websites. Their designs are being sold independently for now but they have hopes of selling their collections in stores someday soon.