On Friday, July 26, DesignPhiladelphia, in partnership with MADE and the Asian Arts Initiative (AAI), hosted a unique paper crafting fashion workshop at the Center for DesignPhiladelphia. The event brought together 18 middle school students to explore the basics of fashion design.

Kong Yang from the Asian Arts Initiative let us in on the beginning ideas what a workshop would look like. Kong states, "With this year's annual TRASHion show's theme, Sounds Like Us, we wanted students to explore what it means to 'sound like us' in terms of pop culture, music, and the social influences of today. We partnered with DesignPhiladelphia through Paper Crafting Chic to introduce design concepts, processes, and foundational skills to support their visions.” In a way to explore the students ideas in a new way, AAI worked to create a blend of creativity, learning, and teamwork throughout the afternoon.

In this hands-on workshop, students worked in teams to learn about basic garment silhouettes by sketching their ideas on figure templates. These sketches were then translated into actual garment sizes, cut and taped, and draped onto dress forms. Using paper as the primary medium allowed the students to engage with a familiar material in an innovative way, fostering creative thinking and problem-solving.

MADE Institute helped offer students a chance to experiment and express their artistic vision. Emily Henry from MADE Institute emphasized the significance of fashion in young people's lives, saying, “Fashion serves as a gateway for children to explore their talents, offering self-expression as a hobby or a potential career path. Learning to sew, drape, or create 3D objects fosters innovative thinking, new perspectives, and inspiration for fresh ideas and creations.”

This workshop was a testament to the power of collaboration in the design industry, providing a platform for students to learn, create, and innovate in ways they never imagined. Liza Niles, Design Education Manager from DesignPhiladelphia shared her thoughts on the event, saying, “The fashion workshop was a win-win for the program. Having the fashion designer and educator, Emily Henry from MADE Institute, was really special. She brought expertise, vision, and process to the workshop. It was fun to partner with Kong Yang at AAI, a fellow Education Manager. She is wonderful to work with, and she and her students brought a lot of joy and imagination to our Center.”

The event was not just about learning fashion design; it was about fostering a sense of community and collaboration among young creatives, paving the way for future design innovations.