Detroit’s College for Creative Studies (CCS) presented its third iteration of The Show, a runway presentation featuring collections from the class of 2023. On Thursday, April 20 the fashion accessory design students revealed their graduate ranges of shoes and handbags to an international audience including representatives from brands such as Louis Vuitton and Tapestry, and from Eyes on Talents, the digital arm of Paris-based headhunter Floriane de Saint Pierre.

The international connection is perhaps inevitable considering the Chair of Fashion Design is London-trained Finnish/Moroccan accessory designer Aki Choklat, while 2022 saw the addition of Antwerp designer Rey Pador as full-time faculty member enlisted to lead the expansion of the fashion curriculum to include apparel design. This show marked the final cohort of solely accessory design students, although the 8 designers created simple but complimentary looks to showcase the shoes and bags. The designers were Jacob Emmett, Jerome Fulton, Mikayla Hoak, Nikki Park, Sofia Proen, Ja’maiya Ryan, Cameron Sucaet, Stiven Woznicki and Fulbright Scholar Mehran Musta.

American DNA. The non-profit, private college’s location in midtown Detroit is fueled by the city’s strong Made in USA tradition and legacy of craft and savoir-faire. CCS is a supplier of talent to numerous fields including transportation, film and animation, and soon the apparel industry will be rewarded with a larger pool of CCS graduates. Strong links have been forged between the school and local businesses, of particular note is the collaboration between junior students and workwear giant Carhartt, of which the resulting market-ready shoes and backpacks were on display on the way to the runway space.

Established by Choklat in 2015, CCS’s is now one of the most recognized accessory programs in the US, with onsite facilities that allow students to experience every step of making footwear, handbags and small leather goods from concept to completion. The graduating class of 2023, inspired by Russia, Palestine, Korea and NYC, and working in materials as diverse as leather, neoprene, tulle and snakeskin, appeared poised to confront the demands of our changing society and climate, as well as the volatile employment market. “The belief is that there is always hope for humanity and what comes next will be chaotically brilliant,” said Choklat before the show. “The mood will mirror what my students are feeling and seeing currently and how they can be the best for their future.”

Accessory design the focus of The Show at CCS

A nomadic life inspired Nikki Park’s range of metallic finished ergonomically formed handbags, each one embedded with NFT chips and incorporating blockchain technology for the up-to-the-minute eco-conscious consumer, while Cameron Sucaet was inspired by the book “Belgian Solutions” by artist David Helbich which documents Belgians’ unconventional approach to everyday problem solving. His collection entitled Bel-Core celebrated workwear and uniformity but with a welcome playfulness exhibited in handbags that resembled freshly collected dry cleaning, complete with clear plastic overlay and hanger flap emblazoned with *We Love Our Customers*.

Mixed materials and 3D printing merged in winged silhouettes that tapered into pointed toes inspired by Russian architecture in Stiven Woznicki’s collection. The designer believes that heels are the most intimate item one can buy and the heels of his knee length and ankle boots curved and curled suggestively, with sections slashed out, or worn with leather leg braces which belted above the knee. Color, material and finish were a powerful triumvirate for Mehran Musta whose minimalist but dramatic closing looks crossed over into wearable sculpture.

Shortly the spotlight will return to CCS as the runway reveal of the inaugural cohort which unites fashion apparel and accessory design under the creative leadership of Rey Pador is set for May.