The Savannah College of Art and Design held its annual fashion show on Friday evening on the SCAD Atlanta campus, in addition to virtually via the university’s website.

“The placement is de facto stunning — the runway form of curves across the courtyard of this brand recent constructing they’ve just opened on the Atlanta campus. It really does appear to be town of the longer term, which I feel that by some means matches the energy of Atlanta,” Dirk Standen, dean of the SCAD Fashion School and former editor in chief of Style.com and founding editor of 23 Stories, Condé Nast’s creative agency, told WWD ahead of the show.

The evening began with the premiere of the college’s third annual film, “Dimensions.” Directed by SCAD alum Chris Finn (of the award-winning creative production studio Scholar) and filmed on the university’s LED volume stage, the futuristic film features the works of greater than 100 SCAD School of Fashion students (including garments, jewelry, footwear and accessories), as performed by SCAD student models and actors.

Following the film, SCAD Fashion began its live runway show featuring 55 senior and graduate students’ collections (noted to incorporate greater than 175 designs), with model Coco Rocha as runway coach, special guest and show opener. Throughout the show each student’s collection (comprising around three looks each, and spanning from conceptual and futuristic to texturally wealthy and artisanal) was amplified by SCAD’s show production and outdoor venue.

Each collection was critiqued by a panel of industry figures, spanning fields from design to public relations and editorial. 

“We take a look at various aspects: concept, construction, finish, all those things. We even have a jury of industry professionals to be sure that we get that form of independent eye on it,” Standen said. “We actually attempt to have a combination of people who find themselves designers, who take a look at it from an editor’s viewpoint, or PR’s viewpoint to have as broad a spectrum of educated opinions as possible.”

The 2023 SCAD jury included designers LaQuan Smith, Italo Zucchelli, and Waris Ahluwalia; Nicole Phelps, global director of Vogue Runway; photographer and designer Tommy Ton; Sara Kozlowski, vice chairman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America; Pierre Rougier, founding father of PR Consulting; stylist Paul Cavaco; Peter Arnold, executive director of the Fashion Scholarship Fund; Noah Johnson, global style director of GQ; David McKenzie, head of design at Puma; Hillary Taymour, creative director of Collina Strada, and more.

As well as, a bunch of industry experts (Frederic Tremblay, John Caruso, Camilla Stærk, Ben Chmura, Briana Danyele, and Amber Halford) served as SCAD’s StyleLab mentors and worked closely with select students throughout the 2022-2023 academic yr. 

“I feel what’s really interesting is the type of intense give attention to fabric innovation, and I feel that may take a number of different forms. For instance, you could have a student like Maliki Gilbert, who designs all his collections and garments in 3D and has these mesmerizing digital holographic prints,” Standen said of key ideas and standout collections from the 2023 show.

Standen also noted Nathan Barta’s intricate dresses made from laser cut leather and liquid metal polyester, in addition to Torrion Reed’s upcycled denim works that “create these very powerful statements that play with volume and texture.”

Prior to the runway show, SCAD Fashion 2023 held its annual SCAD Jewelry Trunk Show. The university also presented the SCAD Étoile Award to photographer Ellen von Unwerth on Thursday for her contributions to film, fashion and photography.  

The event included a conversation between von Unwerth and Stefano Tonchi discussing the photographer’s profession and served because the opening of SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film’s exhibit “Ellen von Unwerth: This Side of Paradise.” The exhibit, open until Jan. 8, was curated by SCAD FASH creative director Rafael Gomez and presents greater than 50 photographs and fashion movies of her editorial and artistic works.

“I’m very excited and  proud to be receiving this SCAD étoile award. SCAD is such an open-minded institution that offers students amazing opportunities,” Von Unwerth told WWD. “I’m so comfortable to be appreciated for my work and to be an inspiration for the brand new generation.”

“I feel someone like Ellen — the liberty and the exuberance that’s in her work, to me really is a superb match for SCAD and what the SCAD students are all about,” Standen said.