For student directors Lydia Spears and Keerthi Nagapudi, this evolution wasn\u2019t accidental \u2014 it was personal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe utilized the theme Revive<\/em> to reshape the structure of the show this year in its new form,\u201d the duo shared. \u201cRevive<\/em> was inspired by the changing state of Art2Wear and its new possibilities while being in a transformative state. Change can be a good thing. That is what Revive<\/em> is: a positive and rejuvenating change.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The transformation wasn\u2019t just logistical. It was philosophical. Spears and Nagapudi led a team of student designers and producers through months of collaborative work \u2014 not just guiding them to the finish line, but inviting them to stretch creatively and conceptually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe really wanted the theme Revive<\/em> to be a feeling amongst the designers and the audience alike,\u201d they explained. \u201cWe wanted designers to walk away from the show with a sense of accomplishment but also a refreshed feeling of inspiration for future projects. We would say, from our perspective, this aspect was successful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And the work speaks for itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From meditations on grief and rebirth to critiques of overconsumption, the 2025 designer collections pulled no punches. Each one reflected a deeply personal take on revival, told through unexpected materials, embodied performances and thoughtful storytelling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mia Danford-Klein<\/strong> created The Return Home<\/em>, a moss-draped exploration of life, death and energy transfer \u2014 a love letter to her late grandfather and a reminder that death, too, is a beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n u0022After taking part in this year\u2019s show, I really feel like I\u2019m capable of making great things. It was incredible to prove to myself that I can not only design something great, but construct it and build on it.u0022\u00a0– u003cstrongu003eMia Danford-Kleinu003c\/strongu003e<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Charlotte Davis<\/strong> stoked flames with Ignite<\/em>, a piece that tore down 1950s housewife tropes in a smoky blaze of feminist transformation. Confining symbols became tools of liberation in this slow-burn performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sophie Dickerson<\/strong> brought memory into material form in Ornaments of Being<\/em>, a quiet, nostalgic piece constructed from cyanotypes, neuron-inspired structures and keepsakes \u2014 fragments of a self revisited and remembered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alyx Hucks\u2019s<\/strong> \u2018Til Mourning Comes<\/em> delivered a haunting fiber-based exorcism \u2014 a performance where the garment itself unraveled as a metaphor for grief, transformation and the slow reclamation of self.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maia Lindgren<\/strong> &<\/strong> Caleb Sowah <\/strong>embraced camp and catharsis with Life After Death<\/em>, a narrative arc of self-discovery that ends in zombified enlightenment. Each piece \u2014 Life<\/em>, Death<\/em> and Zombie<\/em> \u2014 examined how we lose, find and recreate ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Megan Mersch<\/strong> delivered a future-forward critique with Baggage<\/em>, a fashion statement made from single-use plastic bags. Her character, draped in excess, served as a walking warning against environmental apathy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Elle Newkirk<\/strong> explored cultural rebirth in Palingenesis<\/em>, a collection inspired by traditional Korean dress. Merging heritage with contemporary silhouettes, the work reflected both personal and collective revival.<\/p>\n\n\n u0022Every single one of my looks was constructed from a pattern that I made of a hanbok that a close family friend gifted me, a piece of heritage that crossed oceans and is decades old.u0022 – Elle Newkirk<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Mia Potter & Devyn Williams<\/strong> launched the audience skyward with The Fall of Icarus<\/em>, a mythological meditation on hubris and human ambition. With Greco-Roman silhouettes and masquerade-inspired choreography, their piece blended costume, dance and cautionary tale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While the collections rightfully stole the spotlight, the immersive atmosphere of Revive<\/em> was no accident \u2014 it was engineered. Under the leadership of junior director and production head Aurelia Pyrczak, the Art2Wear team reimagined every spatial and sensory element of the show. From set design to sound, from archival curation to audience flow, every detail served to elevate the designers’ visions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe show\u2019s unconventional format brought production and designers closer together,\u201d Pyrczak said. \u201cWe worked to achieve spatial design that spoke to each designer\u2019s work and the story they aimed to tell.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aurelia\u2019s role spanned the full academic year. In the fall, she led the co-curation of Art2Wear: Through the Archives<\/em> with the Gregg Museum, digging through decades of photos, videos and print ephemera to trace the evolution of the show. In the spring, her focus shifted to engineering the experience: transforming the museum space into a dynamic canvas for live performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis year was completely new for Art2Wear, including those of us creating the show,\u201d she explained. \u201cI had never worked on exhibition or set design before this year. I learned as I went \u2014 but that also gave us a lot of creative control.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite the learning curve, the result was a multi-sensory journey. Audience members didn\u2019t just observe the work; they were immersed in it. Lighting, soundscapes, pacing and pathfinding all helped bring each designer\u2019s narrative to life in an environment that blurred the line between fashion and performance art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cProductions like Art2Wear bring the story of wearable design to life by crafting an environment in which the art becomes personified,\u201d she said. \u201cEach year, the audience is drawn in as they watch closely to discover the newest stories being told.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And when it finally came together?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI must admit I felt relieved \u2014 and a bit shocked \u2014 that we had pulled it off,\u201d she reflected. \u201cAfter the first show, I just felt so proud of the members of Art2Wear. I had seen everyone working so hard all year long. It felt incredible to see the audience enjoying the show and admiring everyone\u2019s work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Art2Wear: Revive<\/em> challenged conventional ideas of what fashion can be and what stories it can carry. It also revealed something essential about the next generation of designers: they\u2019re not just creating garments; they\u2019re building meaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere was a really strong feeling of inspiration amongst leadership, production and designers alike,\u201d Spears and Nagapudi reflected. \u201cIf people see you working hard as a leader, they feel inclined to return the energy to you. There was an attitude of everyone trying their best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The collaboration extended beyond the student team. This year\u2019s show marked a first-of-its-kind partnership with the Gregg Museum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWorking with the Gregg this year added a whole new layer to the responsibilities of the leadership team,\u201d the co-directors said. \u201cBoth teams learned a lot from one another about collaboration styles and strong communication. The Gregg was extremely accommodating and supportive during this whole process.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the end, Art2Wear: Revive wasn\u2019t about discarding the past. It was about learning from it, leaning into it, and reimagining what comes next. And in doing so, this year’s team didn’t just revive a legacy \u2014 they reinvigorated its future.<\/p>\n This post was originally published<\/a> in College of Design Blog.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false,"raw":"\n\n\n\n\n At this year\u2019s Art2Wear showcase, change wasn\u2019t just the theme \u2014 it was the medium, the method and the message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Held at the Gregg Museum of Art & Design, Art2Wear: Revive<\/a> marked a departure from tradition. Gone was the raised runway and seated crowd. In its place: an immersive, walk-through experience where models and garments occupied the same space as the audience \u2014 a fluid, living gallery of wearable art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For student directors Lydia Spears and Keerthi Nagapudi, this evolution wasn\u2019t accidental \u2014 it was personal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe utilized the theme Revive<\/em> to reshape the structure of the show this year in its new form,\u201d the duo shared. \u201cRevive<\/em> was inspired by the changing state of Art2Wear and its new possibilities while being in a transformative state. Change can be a good thing. That is what Revive<\/em> is: a positive and rejuvenating change.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The transformation wasn\u2019t just logistical. It was philosophical. Spears and Nagapudi led a team of student designers and producers through months of collaborative work \u2014 not just guiding them to the finish line, but inviting them to stretch creatively and conceptually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe really wanted the theme Revive<\/em> to be a feeling amongst the designers and the audience alike,\u201d they explained. \u201cWe wanted designers to walk away from the show with a sense of accomplishment but also a refreshed feeling of inspiration for future projects. We would say, from our perspective, this aspect was successful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And the work speaks for itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From meditations on grief and rebirth to critiques of overconsumption, the 2025 designer collections pulled no punches. Each one reflected a deeply personal take on revival, told through unexpected materials, embodied performances and thoughtful storytelling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mia Danford-Klein<\/strong> created The Return Home<\/em>, a moss-draped exploration of life, death and energy transfer \u2014 a love letter to her late grandfather and a reminder that death, too, is a beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n Charlotte Davis<\/strong> stoked flames with Ignite<\/em>, a piece that tore down 1950s housewife tropes in a smoky blaze of feminist transformation. Confining symbols became tools of liberation in this slow-burn performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sophie Dickerson<\/strong> brought memory into material form in Ornaments of Being<\/em>, a quiet, nostalgic piece constructed from cyanotypes, neuron-inspired structures and keepsakes \u2014 fragments of a self revisited and remembered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alyx Hucks\u2019s<\/strong> \u2018Til Mourning Comes<\/em> delivered a haunting fiber-based exorcism \u2014 a performance where the garment itself unraveled as a metaphor for grief, transformation and the slow reclamation of self.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maia Lindgren<\/strong> &<\/strong> Caleb Sowah <\/strong>embraced camp and catharsis with Life After Death<\/em>, a narrative arc of self-discovery that ends in zombified enlightenment. Each piece \u2014 Life<\/em>, Death<\/em> and Zombie<\/em> \u2014 examined how we lose, find and recreate ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Megan Mersch<\/strong> delivered a future-forward critique with Baggage<\/em>, a fashion statement made from single-use plastic bags. Her character, draped in excess, served as a walking warning against environmental apathy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Elle Newkirk<\/strong> explored cultural rebirth in Palingenesis<\/em>, a collection inspired by traditional Korean dress. Merging heritage with contemporary silhouettes, the work reflected both personal and collective revival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n Mia Potter & Devyn Williams<\/strong> launched the audience skyward with The Fall of Icarus<\/em>, a mythological meditation on hubris and human ambition. With Greco-Roman silhouettes and masquerade-inspired choreography, their piece blended costume, dance and cautionary tale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While the collections rightfully stole the spotlight, the immersive atmosphere of Revive<\/em> was no accident \u2014 it was engineered. Under the leadership of junior director and production head Aurelia Pyrczak, the Art2Wear team reimagined every spatial and sensory element of the show. From set design to sound, from archival curation to audience flow, every detail served to elevate the designers' visions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe show\u2019s unconventional format brought production and designers closer together,\u201d Pyrczak said. \u201cWe worked to achieve spatial design that spoke to each designer\u2019s work and the story they aimed to tell.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aurelia\u2019s role spanned the full academic year. In the fall, she led the co-curation of Art2Wear: Through the Archives<\/em> with the Gregg Museum, digging through decades of photos, videos and print ephemera to trace the evolution of the show. In the spring, her focus shifted to engineering the experience: transforming the museum space into a dynamic canvas for live performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis year was completely new for Art2Wear, including those of us creating the show,\u201d she explained. \u201cI had never worked on exhibition or set design before this year. I learned as I went \u2014 but that also gave us a lot of creative control.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite the learning curve, the result was a multi-sensory journey. Audience members didn\u2019t just observe the work; they were immersed in it. Lighting, soundscapes, pacing and pathfinding all helped bring each designer\u2019s narrative to life in an environment that blurred the line between fashion and performance art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cProductions like Art2Wear bring the story of wearable design to life by crafting an environment in which the art becomes personified,\u201d she said. \u201cEach year, the audience is drawn in as they watch closely to discover the newest stories being told.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And when it finally came together?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI must admit I felt relieved \u2014 and a bit shocked \u2014 that we had pulled it off,\u201d she reflected. \u201cAfter the first show, I just felt so proud of the members of Art2Wear. I had seen everyone working so hard all year long. It felt incredible to see the audience enjoying the show and admiring everyone\u2019s work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Art2Wear: Revive<\/em> challenged conventional ideas of what fashion can be and what stories it can carry. It also revealed something essential about the next generation of designers: they\u2019re not just creating garments; they\u2019re building meaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere was a really strong feeling of inspiration amongst leadership, production and designers alike,\u201d Spears and Nagapudi reflected. \u201cIf people see you working hard as a leader, they feel inclined to return the energy to you. There was an attitude of everyone trying their best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The collaboration extended beyond the student team. This year\u2019s show marked a first-of-its-kind partnership with the Gregg Museum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWorking with the Gregg this year added a whole new layer to the responsibilities of the leadership team,\u201d the co-directors said. \u201cBoth teams learned a lot from one another about collaboration styles and strong communication. The Gregg was extremely accommodating and supportive during this whole process.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the end, Art2Wear: Revive wasn\u2019t about discarding the past. It was about learning from it, leaning into it, and reimagining what comes next. And in doing so, this year's team didn't just revive a legacy \u2014 they reinvigorated its future.<\/p>\n"},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In Art2Wear: Revive, students broke tradition and rebuilt something unforgettable. Through immersive design, mythic themes and a touch of plastic, the show redefined what wearable art can be.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":3086,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"ncstate_wire","ncst_custom_author":"","ncst_show_custom_author":false,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","ncst_content_audit_display":false,"ncst_backToTopFlag":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[9],"class_list":["post-3085","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-_from-newswire-collection-363"],"displayCategory":null,"acf":{"ncst_posts_meta_modified_date":null},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/a2w\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3085","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/a2w\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/a2w\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/a2w\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/a2w\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3085"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/a2w\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3085\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/a2w\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3086"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/a2w\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3085"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/a2w\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3085"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/a2w\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3085"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Reimagining Through Design<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nLearn more about each collection in the Art2Wear: Revive Program Booklet<\/h4>\n\n\n
Behind the Seams: Production as Storytelling<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Building an Unconventional Foundation<\/h4>\n\n\n
![\"Art2Wear](\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/54516838943_98b7001166_z.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nGoodbye, Runway.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Reimagining Through Design<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nLearn more about each collection in the Art2Wear: Revive Program Booklet<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Behind the Seams: Production as Storytelling<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Building an Unconventional Foundation<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>\n\n\n\n