Introducing the 2013 MakeFashion Designers

We are pleased to announce our designers who will be presenting in the  2013 runway show.

Ferro Fuse: Melissa Skowron and Casey Hughes
The concept of Ferro Fuse is to provide the Calgary community with a new, functional way of interacting with ferrofluid technology – as fashion and art. The properties of the ferrofluid contained within a display vessel, and embedded as part of an ensemble of other fashion designs serves to solidify the connection between art, fashion, and technology. Website: Casey Hughes / Melissa Skowron

Maria Orduz
Maria Orduz is a Colombian Born Fashion Designer. She discovered her love for the industry at an early age, often watching international runway shows and attempting some sketches of her own. This love took her to Toronto, where she graduated Top 20 in the Fashion Techniques and Design program at George Brown College.

Maria has been involved in the Calgary fashion scene since 2009 participating in Alberta Fashion Week, Designing for local film “ The Subliminal Rabbit Presents” and “ The Golden Ticket Charity Gala”. She has also been recognized for her participation in “Triumph’s international Inspiration Award” placing Top 10 ( Featured in Elle Canada), Metro News “Wearable Art Contest” ( second place) and has been recognized by  Avenue Magazine ( Calgary) as one of the Top 10 Designers to watch.

Maria hopes to portray her love for creativity with the MakeFashion Project, creating a beautiful garment with elements foreign to the designer. Web: Maria Orduz

Project: Second Skin: I have based by design idea in the concept that Fashion and Technology make such an essential part of our daily lives, that they both feel as close to us as our skin.

Kathryn Blair
Kath has lived all of her life in Calgary except four years she spent in Vancouver studying visual art at the University of British Columbia, and is now spending her days as an arts marketer and her evenings, nights and early mornings as a visual artist. .She likes art because she likes having her mind blown, so she likes exploring ideas that tie her brain in knots, confuse, or fascinate her, and the intersection between technology and art is a great way to do that – so she’s super excited to be part of make:fashion. Web: Glass-Slipper.net

Project:  Somatic System is a device – a theraputic clothic accessory, which responds to you to help you respond to the world! Equipped with sensors, it will provide positive stimulus in the form of light and sound.

Somatic System will explore themes of how we use technology to control and monitor ourselves (and how we use technology to think we can control ourselves), the extent to which wearable electronics could break down our conceptual division between mind, body and environment, and the way in which we can respond to programmatic responses the same way we’d respond to considered responses from another human (which are, to some extent, programmatic responses themselves).

Laura Dempsey

Laura Dempsey is a designer with a degree in architecture from Dalhousie University and a particular interest in light and its many incredible qualities. She has lived in London (UK), New York, Halifax, and Boston, but is happy to be back in Calgary and to have the opportunity to immerse herself in the city’s vibrant design community. Her previous wearable artworks were presented at the NSCAD Wearable Art Show, where she was awarded the Juror’s Prize. Web: Portfolio

Kyle Nylund

Kyle Nylund is a practicing artist and designer working in the Calgary area. He holds a BFA from the Alberta College of Art and Design. Kyle is very inspired by contemporary fashion and aspects of gender. His work often reflects these influences using a wide variety of materials to create art on the body. Web: Portfolio

Team Night Envy

Night Envy was forged from the glowing aspirations of our very own Carsen Kendel. Two years ago he recognized a need for high end illuminated clothing. Night Envy pushes the boundaries of fashion each and every day. Through our unique collection and intimate connection to electronic music sub-culture, we have been able to light up much of Western Canada. The future is most definitely looking bright for Night Envy.
Night Envy’s MAKE fashion project will astound. Man has often gazed toward the stars for answers, for guidance and for inspiration. We have harnessed the very power of the cosmos in order to bring this vision to you. Classical style augmented with new age technology has been the focal point of this project and represents the natural beauty and wonder that we sometimes take for granted. Naturalistic allure and humanistic application will stimulate your senses and open your mind.
Night Envy, in Light we Live and Love!

Shawn Grover
Shawn Grover is a jack of all trades and can chat comfortably on topics such as network engineering, desktop development, web application development, the pros and cons of various frameworks, server installations and maintenance, end user support, and even electronics and business. He has been active in the Open Source community for quite a while and enjoys sharing information whether instructing formal classes, doing informal presentations, or one on one discussions. When not working, Shawn enjoys spending time with his daughter and his friends, and learning new things. For MAKE Fashion, Shawn has pioneered new 3D printed parts that greatly improve the assembly of complex fashion items.

Felicity Hart
Felicity Hart was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. At a young age, she recognized her interest and talent in visual arts; and recently felt the need to further this interest. In 2007, she was accepted into the School of Performing and Visual Arts at Central Memorial High School. She graduated high school with a Certificate in visual arts with a specialty in drawing. She is currently going into her third year at the Alberta College of Art and Design for a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Print Media. She works in many mediums, including watercolours, oils, etching, and sculpture. She is currently exploring themes of religion, iconography, and the taboo within her work.

Betsy Hinze
Betsy Hinze is more than just your typical glass-blowing, pie-baking, nature-walking art student. She also knows how to create a compelling piece of art. Born in 1991 in Idaho, Betsy started doing art at a young age from finger-painting walls to sculpting mud pies. Today, Betsy is attending Alberta College of Art and Design in Calgary specializing in glassblowing and interactive installations, and perfecting her baking skills in her (rare) spare time.

Carsen Kendel
Carsen Kendel is Founder and President of Night Envy Inc. Visionary behind the initial Night Envy line and aficionado of all things glow. Poised to complete his Bachelor of Business Administration with a marketing major and a minor in entrepreneurship this spring. He seeks to personally deliver glowing clothing to all those who need it!

Vlad Lavrovsky
Vlad Lavrovsky is a programmer, biochemist and whimsical light addict. He is constantly pushing the boundaries of wearable electronics with a focus on illuminated pieces. With a degree in Bioinformatics and a skill-set that includes embedded system design and genetic engineering, he can never seem to do just one thing. He is the technical lead of the Night Envy MAKE Fashion team. Known for cursing continuously as he often glues and solders himself to his own work. If it looks like a fingerprint, it probably is.

Web: Night Envy