![Design mentor, Tim Gunn, left, gives advice to Joshua Hupper, a Hillard, OH native and Kent State alumnus, about his designs on the reality tv show, "Making the Cut," which will premier Friday, March 27 [Amazon Studios] [Originally posted: The Columbus Di](https://www-s3-live.kent.edu/s3fs-root/s3fs-public/file/joshua%20hupper-making%20the%20cut.jpg)
After an impressive run on Amazon Prime’s “Making the Cut” fashion design competition series, 5X School of Fashion alumnus Josh Hupper is once again in the spotlight. Hupper’s fashion brand, Babyghost, a successful e-commerce fashion brand based in Shanghai, China, had their recent collection featured in Vogue Runway’s Fall 2020 Ready-to-Wear campaign.
Hupper refused to let the pandemic slow down Babyghost, a company he co-owns and co-designs with partner, Qiaoran Huang. Babyghost designed their biggest collection ever during the shutdown, and even already completed their spring 2021 collection which will be shot later this year. Due to Babyghost’s already-established online following, their transition to a mostly digital world was fairly seamless.
Film served as a constant source of inspiration for Hupper. The new lineup, available in stores now, features stitched Hitchcockian references throughout the collection. Oversized silhouettes paired with lace hems and deep-V necklines are prominent. Babyghost also introduced dresses, vests and sweaters in a new dynamic knit, a category for the brand that is continuing to grow in popularity as weather gets cooler.
“Our clothing is really cute, but there is a darker twist, just like our name,” said Hupper.
Next up, the design duo will be releasing a series of small capsule collections and one-off pieces for customers to enjoy between the season collection launches. Once Hupper is able to travel again, he hopes to make a trip back to the U.S. to visit his family and return to the Kent campus. Hupper graduated from the university in 2004.
Said Hupper, “I miss the school a great deal. It’s because of my time there that I have everything I’ve worked for. [Former School of Fashion Director] Dr. Elizabeth Rhodes was a very key person in my life and my career. I can’t imagine what it must be like to be a student during this time, but I see so much hope. As soon as I can travel back, I want to arrange a visit to KSU. I would love to be helpful wherever possible.”
(Photo: Design mentor, Tim Gunn, left, gives advice to Joshua Hupper, a Hillard, OH native and Kent State alumnus, about his designs on the reality tv show, "Making the Cut." [Amazon Studios])