November 7 & 8, 2022 in Rockwell Hall
The Fashion School’s senior Bachelor of Fine Art design students will particiate in the annual Muslin Critique November 7 -8, 2022, which acts as the mid-point review for all of the collections of the seniors finishing up their B.F.A. coursework.
Every year, a designer in residence works with our students throughout the process. The School of Fashion 2022-2023 Designer in Residence is William Taswell III. Industry critics are brought in to view and critique the students’ work. The industry critics for this semester are Alicia Hardesty, and Andrea Sanderlin.
MEET OUR DESIGNER IN RESIDENCE:
In 22 years, William Taswell has made the fashion industry his international playground. Beginning as a self-taught artist at the early age of 7 in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., William went on to be formally trained in fashion design at Marymount University in Arlington, VA. Mr. Taswell then made his move to NYC where he started his career as an intern at Jill Stuart, where he learned hard work and exceeding expectation would go a very long way for him in industry. With focus, determination, and by making smart and strategic decisions, William became Assistant Design Director for renowned eveningwear designer Chris Kole, with only 4 years industry experience at the young age of 24. This position and role that Mr. Taswell considers the opportunity that molded him as the professional talent he has become to this day, prepared him for the next stage of his career. With Chris’ blessing Mr. Taswell after 2yrs. under the guidance of Chris Kole was offered and accepted his first position as Head of Design for a small brand, Stelle, that with his creative guidance launched with Saks 5th Avenue and specialty boutiques around the USA. It was at Stelle where he reported to internationally recognized luxury retail executive June Haynes. He was also 1st round nominated for the Fashion Group International’s Rising Star Award in 2006 for his Stelle Spring 2007 collection. Upon exiting from Stelle, and always excited for new challenges, Mr. Taswell was presented with the opportunity to live and work in China, for his most notable role as the Chief Designer of Womenswear for Ports International, an advanced contemporary collection with annual sales of 450 million USD. Ports international is also the parent collection for the Ports 1961 International Runway collection. Subsequently, Mr. Taswell served as Design Director for Bagatelle in NYC, as Design Director for Pickett in San Diego, which was launched with Harvey Nichols, the world-renowned British department store, and specialty boutiques domestically in the USA and internationally. Due to the abrupt closure of the Pickett label, William then relocated back to Los Angeles, where he was Head of Design, for the new missy division at Kandy Kiss of California in Van Nuys, CA where he oversaw private label development for brands such as Nordstrom Product Group, Saks 5th Avenue, and Chico’s. Los Angele’s garment industry is ever evolving and because of this Kandy Kiss filed for bankruptcy, and William soon took his talents and expertise back to the international market, as Head Designer for Riva Woman in Kuwait. In 2020, William returned to Los Angeles, where he became Vice-President of Design for the luxury bespoke brand, RichFresh. Currently, William is the Vice-President of Design for Frere, an ultra-luxury bespoke menswear and womenswear collection that he is helping to relaunch in RTW for Menswear, Womenswear, Accessories, and Footwear. Additionally, William serves on the Corporate Board for the Black In Fashion Council, is the Leader of the Corporate Design and Development group for the Black Design Collective, as well as serving on the advisory board for Mavette, as the Design and Development advisor. Mavette is a contemporary women’s footwear brand launched in the Fall 2018. William resides in downtown Los Angeles, CA with his husband, Cesar, and their two cats, Celine and Cronos.
@williamtaswell3
Meet the Industry CRITICS:
@originaltomboy
@clothandtrim
B.F.A. Collection Review
The process of the B.F.A. collection review starts the first week of the fall semester when the students come prepared with a collection proposal in an illustration form. The first review is conducted by faculty teaching the design seniors. During the review of the initial selection of looks, some students may have to revise their idea or go back to the drawing board for further exploration.
The second step includes the Muslin Critique, which consists of industry mentors coming in to review the collections of the muslin-constructed garments. At this stage of the process, the goal is for the students to have figured out the construction of their fabric ideas and patterns. The students then present their collections to the mentors, and the mentors then provide constructive feedback to the students.
After the critique, the students then participate in the annual NYC fabric shopping trip, which is where they purchase all of their fabric needed to complete their final collection based on the feedback received from the mentors.
Next semester, the students will take part in another critique with different industry critics and will present their final collections. The spring critique is where the selections are made regarding which students’ collections will be presented in the Fashion School’s Annual Fashion Show.
Kent State Fashion Week will take place April 21 - May 1, 2023
The Annual Kent State Fashion Show and Awards Ceremony will be held Friday, April 28, 2023 in the Kent Student Center Ballroom