Outlook Magazine - Fall 2024

nspired by nightmares and obsessions, designers at this year’s annual sellout runway sensation Fashion Without Fabric embraced imperfection and even death itself with grace and dignity. And two designs rose above the rest. The number 13 can strike fear and superstition into the hearts of many. But Klaire Johnson and Emma Walstra flipped fear on its head with their intricate ensemble “The Prime Divine,” representing rebirth, transformation and divine energy. Reminiscent of a phoenix, their design paired a gold foil chest plate and pleated skirt. White plumes and a rhinestone mask and headpiece lifted the audience's eye toward a backpiece that doubled as transformable wings and a gold circle alluding to a halo. Design duo Erika Rivolta and Manuela von Zitzewitz’s “Love of Books” resonated with the audience. A crown of miniature books and red wings arched backward, ready to carry the reader on a journey of the imagination. Complete with an Elizabethan collar of scrolls and a corset shaped like a rounded bookcase, the costume included high-heeled shoes adorned with origami and a gilded skirt made of folded newspaper, giving the impression of a clockface – there is never enough time to read. Recap: 2024 Fashion Without Fabric FRONT ROW TO FASHION

(Right) Klaire Johnson & Emma Walstra's “The Prime Divine”

(Left) Erika Rivolta & Manuela von Zitzewitz's "Love of Books"

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University of Wisconsin-Stout