Boston has an extremely vibrant and ever growing fashion scene.

With the rise of Boston Fashion Week there has also been a rise in fashion events that are accessible to the public. One of these events was a free fashion installation at the MassArt x SOWA gallery. This event allowed the viewer to take a closer look at some of the collections that would be shown later that week at the official fashion show

While showcasing a few up and coming designers one of which was a MassArt alumni, Khammany Phommachanh, this intimate event was electric and it brought together designers and fashion enthusiasts who all were united by their love for the art of it all.

The designers that were showcased were Laurel Fang, Kyoung Kim, Kay Keyue Wan, Khammany Phommachanh, Jacqueline Mones, Aryn Lovell, and Katie Baek. Each designer had their own unique aesthetic and; their collections focused on a large range of themes from something as simple as wanting to make elevated ready-to-wear pieces to collections that told a story about their struggles in the communities they are in and feeling uncomfortable in some way.

Each collection had their own special quirk, some highlights from the show include pieces from Fang’s work which happened to be the only menswear collection shown that utilized hand dyed fabrics to create beautiful textiles.

Mones’ collection consisted of breastplates that were very feminine and delicate and had a very soft color palette.

This collection was a stark contrast to Wan’s collection which took inspiration from Chinese and American football uniforms. This knitwear collection made soft malleable materials look firm and rigid much like real uniforms. Her ability to manipulate these materials I believe set her apart from the other collections that were presented that evening.

Overall, this installation was a very interesting experience and allowed the public to examine each piece very closely.