Three New Talents Pushing Fashion Forward.
Meet Three Graduates From Made Institute, Philadelphia USA, as they showcase their collections at Philly Fashion Week.
Interview with Made Institute students by Emma Golley
10.25.2022
September is arguably one of the most important months in the fashion calendar. During this time we see some of the biggest brands showcase their collections in New York, London, Milan and Paris. But these aren’t the only cities showcasing fashion talent during this month…
Philadelphia Fashion Week takes place towards the end of September each year and is a culmination of hard work and creativity by local and international fashion talent, exhibiting their latest collections for spectators and press to see. Known as the epicenter for arts and culture, Philadelphia is the perfect city to host such an event. The show is a great way for emerging designers and creators to make new connections and gain exposure to their brands. Each year Made Institute, an independent premier fashion design school in Philly, gives their graduates the opportunity to take part in the show. The design school is a unique model which helps aspiring designers develop and launch fashion lines of their own, as well as offering affordable fashion certificates and courses.
I caught up with some of this years talented graduates from Made to learn more about their collections, experiences and plans for the future…
Kenisha Yonetté Young
Where are you from and where did you grow up?
I was born and raised in Wilmington, DE
Describe your design style/ aesthetic:
I design more fitted, curve accentuated styles. Mostly for shaping a woman’s body type. Yonetté utilizes bold and bright colors in luxurious fabrics to bring out features women want to show off like skin tone, facial features etc.
Tell us about your graduate collection and inspiration behind it:
Yonetté’s graduate collection is an embodiment of one of my favorite fashion eras. The 19th century Victorian era is renowned for its extraordinary corsets, super puffy bishop sleeves, large gathers and huge bustles under dresses. Yonetté incorporates some of those design concepts but with a modern posh twist.
Tell us about your experience at Made and what drew you to this course:
My experience at Made has been life changing. I walked into it knowing little about fashion. I’ve learned everything from design ideation to building my very own brand. I have always wanted to get into fashion ever since I was a little girl. Having just graduated college with a business degree, I knew I didn't want, nor have time to go through another 4 year program. I came across Made with a simple google search. Ever since enrolling and going through the program, I can say I honestly feel prepared to step out into the world and show everyone who Yonetté is and what I represent.
You just showcased your collection at Philly Fashion Week, how was that experience for you and what preparation did you have to do for it:
It was super stressful to say the least. However, it was such a rewarding experience. I got the chance to show the industry leaders who I am and what my brand is about. I networked with so many models, influencers, photographers, etc. For preparation, my collection was sewn and styled by me. I remember sewing all the way up until a few hours before the event. I had to do a lot of fittings with the models, so there were many hours spent in the Made studio. Most nights were spent hand sewing as well.
What’s next for you?
I will begin working on another collection within a few weeks, release pending early 2023.
Where can our readers see your designs?
You can see my designs on my website www.yonetteco.com or check them out on instagram @yonette.co
Dylan Pritchard// Owner of ENTREM LLC
Where are you from and where did you grow up?
I grew up in an extremely small, rural town in the Southwestern Piedmont region of North Carolina. There wasn’t much there, save for family and a few weird friends I had. I grew up mostly attached to the internet and slowly gained intrigue and interest in various art forms along the way - namely music and graphic design. It wasn’t until years and years later that I realized fashion design encompassed a lot of my artistic interests. I moved to Philly in 2016 with a goal to eventually thrive as an artist, and I believe I’m well on my way.
Describe your design style/ aesthetic:
My design style is kind of cold and calculated, for better or worse. Everything I do is methodically thought out, sketched and detail oriented through pattern making and working mostly digitally. A lot of my artistic and aesthetic ideas actually come about through my design methods, which I find are best described as architectural, futuristic, and somewhat brutalist in tonality. I’m in love with textiles, and love to blend soft/luxe designs and style with hard wearing, sometimes gritty textures.
Tell us about your graduate collection and inspiration behind it:
This collection was primarily inspired by classic cyberpunk film and media. I draw a lot of inspiration from the standard utilitarian sort of tropes that exist within the ‘high tech, low life’ settings of futuristic film. However, I really enjoy turning that into something more modern by playing with texture, tone and context. I enjoy expanding on a lot of those basic utilitarian garment ideas by experimenting with pattern making and thinking of unique ways to add flare or exciting elements to what is considered to be so standard in the general fashion world. With these ideas come a sort of architectural approach, where everything is methodically designed in 2D to become 3D, usually beginning with very specific detail ideas and expanding them outwardly into the full garments. It’s really the process by which these things come to life that draws me to design in such a specific way.
Tell us about your experience at Made and what drew you to this course:
My experience at MADE was incredible. I learned so much in seemingly such a short amount of time, and had a lot of dedication to reach my specific goals of launching a full brand and business by the time I graduated. What drew me to take the full program were a couple of things. For starters, I had begun the idea to form a brand and design everything myself, however there was only so much that I felt like I could learn from YouTube tutorials (which is why I sought out the school). On the other hand, it was a personal goal of mine to go back to school and actually do something artistic with my time - chasing a specific dream, rather than just dreaming it. I believe I was able to do that by going to MADE, and I’m unsure how I would have done it otherwise.
You just showcased your collection at Philly Fashion Week, how was that experience for you and what preparation did you have to do for it:
To be honest, my collection that I showed had been done for almost a year prior to the show. My business had been in full effect and I had been selling made-to-order garments online for about 7 months at that point. There wasn’t too much to prepare outside of model fittings, however the experience overall was great! A lot of people got to see my designs for the first time, and as I’ve been slowly trying to gain more and more exposure, I’m super grateful for that.
What’s next for you?
I have quite a few things in store for the future. Given the current status of my brand, there is only so much I can do, as everything that is available is all custom/made-to-order. This is why, in early November, I am launching a diffusion line for my brand and releasing my first small batch ready-to-wear product. The future goal is to slowly turn ENTREM entirely into a ready-to-wear brand, putting out anywhere from 30 to 50 units of select designs that I would like to drop one or two of at a time. The initial collection was 11 pieces, and for financial reasons, it would have been impossible for me to launch ready-to-wear products off the bat. Now that I’ve gained a little notoriety and have had a little bit of money flowing into my business account, I’m excited to be able to put this newest line in motion (as well as make my designs more accessible via lower price point).
Where can our readers see your designs?
Everything is available to see and purchase at www.entrem.us
Thomas Rowe
Where are you from and where did you grow up?
I’m from a small beach town in South Jersey. I grew up there, but recently moved to Philadelphia to pursue fashion design.
Describe your design style/aesthetic:
My design aesthetic is a blend between functionality and futurism.
I get influence from technology and the city around me. I am very deliberate with my color selections and I enjoy contrast. The option to be covert or stand out is something I’m fond of. Having familiar, neutral colors and a pop of bright, almost fluorescent, colors will be a theme I return to often.
Tell us about your graduate collection and inspiration behind it:
The inspiration behind my collection was the functionality of itself. I wanted to create a collection that would be interchangeable with future collections to extend the lifespan of garments, to create a new way to update wardrobes for a sustainable future. I use familiar silhouettes, but update them with weather resistant fabrics and key features like reversibility, attachable, and removable aspects to change a piece entirely. It’s sleek and simple, but ready to be converted into the extraordinary.
Tell us about your experience at Made and what drew you to this course:
I had a wonderful experience at Made Institute. The staff and teachers are all so passionate and interested in what I wanted to accomplish without diluting my vision or goals. I felt like an equal, but with a lot to learn. That support for a new designer is what I am most grateful for. I was drawn to the course because of the well-rounded academic aspect, and the accessibility. I highly recommend joining the Made Institute team.
You just showcased your collection at Philly Fashion Week, how was that experience for you and what preparation did you have to do for it:
The experience at PFW was too smooth, I was expecting more mayhem back stage! Even when one of my models couldn’t make it to the show and I brought an extra look that day, they were very accommodating and made sure each piece made it down the runway. The venue was really special too, beautiful show through and through. The biggest preparation for me was the mental aspect of it all. I love being behind the sewing machine, but on stage was the most nerve racking part. Fortunately, I felt confident and secure the minute my first look hit the runway.
What’s next for you?
What’s next for me is selecting a few looks from my collection and starting production. I’ve been having some second thoughts about using new fabric in my collection and want to use reclaimed or dead stock fabric in my production run. The guilt of using new fabric in an already wasteful industry is a heavy weight on my psyche. The color palette is subject to change but the designs are here to stay.
Where can our readers see your designs?
To check out my designs you can visit my website at www.aeternumclothing.com or follow me on Instagram @aeternum_clothing_
Thank you to the students from Made Institute, you can check out Made’s Website here.
Made Institute Instagram.
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