MassArt Paves The Boston Fashion Trail

By Satenik Karapetyan — 09/28/2011
The fashion industry in Boston is evolving. This is becoming most apparent at the Massachusetts School of Art and Design in Boston. Fine Art Fete was a featured event during Boston Fashion Week. The students, faculty and alumni of the college showcased the latest Boston fashion and art trends.
“The needle might go overseas but the design intelligence is right here in Boston,” said Dawn Barrett, the new president of MassArt. Barrett is an art and design educator who came to MassArt this year from the Rhode Island School of Design.
She said she sees the potential for the fashion industry to grow here in Boston. “One thinks of the fashion world as New York, Paris, Milan but in fact it’s really wherever there’s innovation, where there’s really great design and the ability of commissioners and designers to work together to create great new products. Boston has one of the strongest creative economies and it employs some of the greatest number of designers per capita than almost any city in the United States so why shouldn’t fashion be on the forefront in Boston?”
Barrett also said that MassArt is paving the way for good fashion design by promoting and developing an educational institution that is dedicated to the creative economy. “In fact student interest in fashion has grown over the years… and perhaps it’s because it’s recognized as a design area that is both close to them, close to the body, and close to the heart.”
Susan Shian graduated from MassArt in May as a fashion design major. She said,”It’s definitely not the same as like a bigger city like New York but it definitely has its own character and everybody here in Boston has their own aesthetic…I see a lot of people doing daring things with their clothing here.”
Shian said Boston Fashion Week is important because it brings attention to local designers and shows that innovative design does exist here. “Boston is a good place for creativity because I feel like people are not as compelled to follow a certain trend or a certain idea. I feel like we’re a little more free and uninhibited to do what we want. For myself, I’m not afraid to explore the ideas I want.”
Fellow graduate Ashley Conchieri agreed. “I just heard Boston was one of the worst dressed cities in the country but we can fight back… there’s a lot of talent that’s here and I think it just needs to be shown. It’s important for this city to embrace that talent and keep growing to have more sense of style.” Conchieri said Boston has a very unique character and offers the fashion industry something new and different. She said to the fashion industry needs to keep its eye on Boston, and that she expects Boston Fashion Week to grow in the coming years.