An Afternoon at RISD’s Apparel Department

While Diana Eng and I were in Rhode Island a couple weeks ago for Craftland (See recap here), she gave myself and O’Reilly editors Brian Sawyer and Brian Jepson a tour of her alma mater RISD (Rhode Island School of Design). Creativity and innovation seemed to flow through the school and we were lucky to get a chance to visit some of the classes were students were finishing up their final projects. Pictured above is the seniors in their coat making class.

Second year students all have to take the “Innovations” class where you make a wearable item out of everyday things such as this dress made from wire springs and another from mops and feathers. Reminds me of Project Runway but they did it here first!

Here’s a student working on the large knitting machine in the class.

Diana Eng, myself, and Brian Jepson drooling over this knitting machine!

Here a student in the knit class is adjusting her final piece for the critique. All of the pieces in the class were made on a knitting machine.

See the rest of the photos from my trip to RISD and Rhode Island – Link.

Brian Sawyer’s write up on RISD experience – Link.