First-Year class takes field trip to visit local textile artist
Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) students in Visiting Instructor of Fashion and Apparel Design Sarah Eichhorn’s First-Year Experience class ventured outside of the classroom to hear from local textile artist and community educator Vanessa Devaki Andrew.
Andrew’s storefront, Madam Chino, “strives to remove the vanity and social irresponsibility from fashion through creative reuse,” making it the perfect fit for Eichhorn’s First-Year Experience class. Research, Process and Connection: The Anti-Fashion of Fashion aims to dive deep into the fashion industry and explore how it impacts our everyday lives. Students cover topics related to social justice and sustainability and implement creative problem solving to address the changing fashion industry.
MadamChino_Home-News
Vanessa Andrew, Madam Chino.
2023_Madam_Chino03
Vanessa Andrew speaks to a group of FYE students.
2023_Madam_Chino02
A FYE student works on a sewing machine at Madam Chino.
2023_Madam_Chino01
FYE students show off their bags during a field trip to Madam Chino.
Emphasizing reuse and sustainability, 18 first-year students received a tour of Madam Chino, which offers vintage and organic fabrics, handmade and local products, clothing and accessories, zines and sewing classes. The visit culminated in a sewing demonstration and project by Andrew. RPC students learned how to make a self-lining bag and each left with a customized item and a new set of sewing skills.
While not participating in field trips, RPC students also prepared an exhibition of their classwork. “Mended: The Anti-Fashion Exhibition” showcases hand-mended and embellished clothing, adding a personal intervention to an existing garment. The exhibition is on view in MIAD’s Community Hub gallery space (Room 160) from October 20 – November 18, 2023.
Learn more about MIAD’s First-Year Experience and its Fashion and Apparel Design major, and visit MIAD’s galleries to view student work from this class!
News
Pallas Textiles competition provides real-world experience
First-place winner Sophia Simonson ’28 created Refractions as part of her MIAD studies in Interior Architecture and Design. She is one of 20 students studying at MIAD through a cross-registration program with Concordia University. MIAD students Kaitlyn Powers ’26 (Illustration) and Natalie Spetell ’27 (Product Design), both of whom have minors in Communication Design, received Honorable Mentions.
2026 First-Year Exhibition showcases professional growth
An annual tradition at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design from late March through September, the juried First-Year Experience Exhibition celebrates students’ yearlong personal and professional growth.
Meet Carmen Briones and 2026 Senior Exhibition Project Echo
Carmen Briones ‘26 (Product Design) is a President’s (Honor) List student from Cambria, Wis., president of the MIAD IDSA student chapter and an intern at SI Jacobson Manufacturing. Briones designed a device called “Echo” that removes ovarian cysts without surgery.
Meet Eeshaan Dutt and 2026 Senior Exhibition Project Indra Supreme
Eeshan Dutt ‘26 (Illustration) is a President’s (Honor) List student from India and a recipient of a 2026 Alumni Thesis Award. Dutt’s work centers on visual storytelling through sequential art, where he explores how narratives can engage and connect with audiences.
Poster designs boost professional skillsets, children’s nonprofit
Continuing an annual tradition begun in 2010 at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD), Illustration juniors worked with Cramer-Krasselt and Penfield Children’s Center to design posters for the center’s Annual Croquet Ball fundraiser.