More than 100 looks featuring hand-spun chain mail, custom 3D-printed shoes, and extravagant gowns adorned with plenty of tulle (it never feels like enough), were presented at The College for Creative Studies’ fifth iteration of The Show, held at the General Motors Design Dome on April 26.
This year’s theme, “Icons,” which was chosen to celebrate the people, institutions, and movements that have made Detroit the city it is today, played a part in the venue selection.
“The building is absolutely a Detroit icon,” Aki Choklat, Linda Dresner Endowed Chair in Fashion Design, told Hour Detroit. “It’s also important for me, because I’m from Finland, and Eero Saarinen [who designed the dome] is an iconic Finnish architect, and I’ve always dreamt of being here.”
The 26 students from CCS’s fashion design program, including seven graduating seniors, wowed an audience filled with representatives from fashion powerhouses, like Louis Vuitton, as well as prominent local establishments, like Carhartt, Detroit is the New Black, and Coup D’état.
Among those in the crowd was President and CEO of Hermès for the Americas, Diane Mahady, who joined the fashion design program’s advisory board at CCS when Hermès opened its first Michigan location at Somerset Collection in 2021.
“When we [Hermès] came to Detroit, we wanted to make sure we made some meaningful partners here… and we really loved everything that CCS stood for, the work that Aki was doing,” Mahady told Hour Detroit. “There’s nothing greater than seeing the realization of their hard work and their projects.”
A standout collection that caught our eye this year came from senior Meka Johnson, whose “gothic spin” on wedding attire was inspired by the seven deadly sins. Titled Ambrose, the various black gowns, made of satin, tulle, crinoline, and cotton, are a reminder that white isn’t the only option, especially at a time when black wedding accessories, like gloves, scarves, and veils, continue to grow in popularity. The strapless dress with gold embellishments was a particular favorite.
Other eye-catching collections included hammer-formed masks, transparent lamb skin, 3D-printed aluminum fixtures, hand-made shoes and bags, geometry-inspired designs, and upcycled materials, that came from senior students Justin Hilberer, Jackie Kramer, Nick Madruga, Morgan Novetsky, Bridget Weiss, and Emma Wilson.
This year’s show also marks the 10th anniversary of the fashion design program’s establishment under Choklat’s leadership.
“It’s been a crazy 10 years, and I feel like we have so much more to come,” Choklat said, adding that with his team, including Rey Pador, an associate professor overseeing apparel design at CCS, “are going to make really, really big changes.”
One of those big changes is the addition of a fashion business management program.
CCS has applied for 2026 accreditation for a bachelor’s degree in Fashion Business Management, which will make CCS the only fashion school in North America that has a three-year bachelor’s degree that equates to 90 credits.
CCS says the credit distinction is important because although some colleges do have three-year bachelor programs, they still require students to complete 120 credits to graduate.
“I feel like it’s not a full story until we also have a fashion business [program],” Choklat said. “It’s really important and a big deal for us.”
To learn more, visit ccsdetroit.edu.
Looks From The Show 2025
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