Print correction: In the February print edition of our magazine (The Art and Photo Issue), the caption for an image featuring models Camille Uadiale and Shakylah Glover was mistakenly published without their names. This was an oversight on our part, and we sincerely apologize to both models. As per Reporter policy, a correction will also be published in our next print edition.
In 2021, two RIT students and the director of the Vignelli Center undertook an innovative project as part of an independent study. The resulting multimedia fashion show with creative designs and connections between local students and designers inspired the creation of Beyond Fashion, which has become an annual event.
Co-founders Maddy Schoenfeld ’20 (Metals and Jewelry Design), ’23 (MBA) and Julia Abbonizio ’21 (Photography), along with Josh Owen, the Vignelli Center’s director, envisioned and executed the show’s first edition. The group aimed to bring together talented artists around the area, engaging students and the greater Rochester community.
The designers created a unique assortment of garments with inspiration from the VIgnelli family and their on-campus archives. That year, MAGIC Spell Studios provided the setting for new and innovative creations. The show theme in 2022 was based on the famed Vignelli New York City subway map, while 2023’s concept, “The Grid is Everything,” allowed participants to interpret the design grid in new ways in their garments.
The 2024 show, Beyond Fashion’s 4th edition, followed the “On the Table” theme, and serves as the latest showcase of fashion and design at RIT and throughout Rochester. The event on Dec. 6, 2024 featured the largest group of participants to date, with over 150 RIT students participating and over 200 community members attending. Featured designers included Oro Designs, New Media Design, Gates Andrews, RIT Soft Studio, JST, RIT Metals and Jewelry, Pat Pauly and RIT Fabrick.
Beyond the show, event organizers have also opened an exhibition about the show with the help of current Museum Studies student Gabrielle Payne. The exhibition, open in the University Gallery from Jan. 16 to Feb. 8, showcases this year’s theme and provides a unique angle to the essence of Beyond Fashion.
