Thesis Collection: Cigarra

Kenneth Robin Andrada Espinosa
Fashion Design (School of Art and Design)

About this Item

Title
Thesis Collection: Cigarra
Contributor Names
Andrada Espinosa, Kenneth Robin (Creator, Designer)
Scott, Tom (Thesis advisor)
Date
2021
Summary/Artist's Statement
Having moved to the United States from the Philippines, I graduated high school early in Houston, Texas, and then pursued nursing school in Dallas, Texas. However, I discovered that I did not have a passion for nursing. I continued my college career pursuing fashion design, assuring my parents that my talents would one day make them proud. My love for my craft has always been the fuel to keep pursuing my dreams. Though it could be exhausting at times, I always managed to find the silver lining in difficult situations. In the last few years, I have dedicated myself to mastering my craftsmanship and honing my skills, focusing on how I could become one of the great design visionaries such as Cristobal Balenciaga, Yves Saint Laurent, and Christian Dior. One day I aspire to become a creative director where I can share my vision, passion, and love for the arts.
Image 1: This "Cigarra" collection explores the different phases in the lifecycle of a cicada, which represents the anxiety and the emotions that the global pandemic has brought. This collection aims to showcase the talent and skills that I honed as a fashion design student.
Image 2: Fusing old-world techniques with new-world innovations, is a high-fashion concept with organic shapes and innovative materials using silicone and illusion tulle with contrasting stitching.
Image 3: Hand-poured Dragon Skin silicone used for prosthetics, constructed as a bodice showcasing hand-manipulated inverted cross pleating along with black power mesh bodysuit underneath
Image 4: Detailed back view of Dragon Skin silicone bodice with hand-manipulated inverted cross pleating. The contrasting purl stitch is applied along the edges of 150 panels of nude illusion tulle.
Image 5: Full view with silicone bodice, power mesh bodysuit, and 150 panels of nude illusion tulle stitched with contrasting thread sewn along in a cocoon underskirt with horsehair inner construction.
Video: Video showing the garment in action.
Type
Still Image
Moving Image
Womenswear
Sportswear
Course/Degree Information
Program/Degree: Fashion Design BFA
Specialization: Sportswear
Professor: Tom Scott
Academic semester: Spring 2021
Rights
In Copyright
The copyright for this work is held by its author/creator(s). Usage of this material beyond what is permitted by copyright law must first be cleared with the rights-holder(s). This work has been made available online by the Fashion Institute of Technology Gladys Marcus Library strictly for research and educational purposes. If you are the copyright holder for this work and have any objections to this work being made available online, please notify us immediately at [email protected].
Identifier
FIT Repository ID: fof_2021_0177

Citation

Andrada Espinosa, K. R. (2021). Thesis Collection: Cigarra. FIT Institutional Repository. https://institutionalrepository.fitnyc.edu/item/28609
Andrada Espinosa, Kenneth Robin. Thesis Collection: Cigarra. 2021. FIT Digital Repository, https://institutionalrepository.fitnyc.edu/item/28609
Andrada Espinosa, Kenneth Robin. "Thesis Collection: Cigarra." FIT Digital Repository, 2021. https://institutionalrepository.fitnyc.edu/item/28609