In collaboration with artist Rajni Perera, Traveller Bust (1) and Bust (2) discuss our personhood in the desire for the future.
Visit http://www.rajniperera.com/traveller for a full view of Rajni’s solo show at the Patel-Division Projects from September 2019.
All that Glitters is a concept collection of undergarments adorned with sparkling crystals and jagged tactile embellishments, evoking sentiments of unease; discomfort and curiosity. The exhibit is a collaboration between Maegan McWade and Alysia Myette that makes a statement about our comfort, and discomfort, surrounding our identities. Despite growing acceptance for diversity, navigating one’s own identity can pose painful feelings of inadequacy and for many, these experiences are gendered. While undergarments can be barriers, they also have transformative capabilities enabling our bodies to be shaped and molded (at times painfully) into our desired gender identities.
Maegan McWade competed on season 1 of STITCHED in 2018. The reality fashion competition series aired on Slice TV for 12 consecutive episodes. Maegan’s talent won her the honour of the $10 000 cash prize for best designs.
To watch the full episode and all the design challenges visit www.slicetv.com/stitched
The Visitors are series of two piece undergarments and exoskeleton structures assembled using plastic snaps for disassembly and reassembly. The collection of plastic gowns was designed to be large in size with the intention to be shipped overseas easily packaged into a small duffel bag. Like their physical transportation needs, its visual complexity alludes to one visiting from beyond our solar system. The Visitors is made of polyurethane plastic sheeting, snaps and a medium weight nylon knit.
Model: Chantelle Heden
Photographer: Ainlsey Boyd
Colour For The Real World is a mini thesis collection designed by team Maegan McWade and Mhairi Treharne in 2012. The art-to-wear collection’s narrative is of the lessons, obstacles, trials and errors students face when navigating the world of Ryerson’s Fashion Design School. Each piece discusses an element of the learning process from first year through fourth year. Designed to conjure up past feelings of frustration, joy, exhaustion, and confusion experiences from within the walls of Ryerson’s fashion program, the messages are intended to be humorous playing closely to the difficult and often overwhelming components of the design learning process.
Photo Shoot Models: Andrea Gregorio & Krista Deady
Photographer: Tishan Baldoe
Heirloom Revivals is an ongoing series of sentimental reinventions. Each piece lives through multiple eras of love and admiration. The items featured have all begun as outfits with great cultural and sentimental importance. Like the title suggests, heirloom signifies generational connection to each item. Of the three garments showcased, each were originally worn as wedding attire, then passed down to the next generation. After decades of being forgotten and hidden away, each item becomes transformed into a revived variation for a new occasion.
The journey of each piece carries emotion, connection and value for each wearer from beginning to present and onward.
Models: Catherine McWade, Sadie McQuinn, Maegan McWade
Photographers: Danijela Weddings, McCormick Photography, Ally May Chadwick
Make ‘em Laugh is a series of clothing items designed to house humans while they enjoy life and laugh in each other’s company. What is life for if not for living while you wear clothes. Unless you are a nudist, in which case you are likely living your best and most truthful life anyway.
Havana Club is a menswear mini collection. Designed by the team of Maegan McWade, Mhairi Treharne, Shannon Nielsen and Lia Valdez. Their aesthetic inspiration was drawn from Cuban colours and the costuming from bootleg liquor era tv series, Boardwalk Empire. Intended to be silly and playful, the underlying theme pokes fun at peacock gentlemen and their showboating tactics for wooing females. The lookbook created for the mini collection offers a bit of insight into the designers’ imaginations of the inner workings of a gentleman’s club.
Model: Chantelle Heden
Photographer: Ainsley Boyd
Illustrations in various mediums
Ink, Watercolour, Guache, Marker, Charcoal, Pencil
