By Jayla McNeil
VCU School of the Arts
Growing up, Virginia Commonwealth University alumna Kylie Rose Carroll struggled to figure out what a career in the arts might look like. She was passionate and talented, but how could she turn that passion into a viable career?
Her mother would ask her, “What, are you going to be a starving artist?”
Carroll took some time off between her high school graduation in 2015 and her college admission and worked at Nordstrom. Here, she realized how her love of clothing, particularly handbags, could turn into a career within the field of art and design.
A 2021 graduate of the Fashion Design + Merchandising department at VCU School of the Arts, Carroll is now pursuing her master’s degree at Parsons Paris in the Fashion Design & Arts programme.
“While fashion can be a very commercial industry, I’m more interested in its creative side, which doesn’t exist too far from the art world,” she said. “That is one of the reasons why I love the program I am currently completing at Parsons Paris, Fashion Design and Arts. It encourages us to work in the middle, on the narrow line where art and design meet. That’s where I’m happiest, in those in-between spaces.”
This year, as part of the curriculum brand collaboration project, Parsons fashion graduate students were tasked with reinterpreting styles from the Versace archive. Carroll found himself at the Versace headquarters in Milan, Italy, where he presented his original designs to one of the most iconic and recognizable names in fashion: Donatella Versace.
What was it like sharing your updated Versace designs with the famous fashionista? Carroll talked about her art, her experience working with Versace, and how VCUarts helped hone her skills as an up-and-coming fashion designer.
Can you tell us about your project for Versace?
We worked on the project for four months. [It began] with a trip to Italy to visit Versace’s archives, factory and headquarters, where we received the [assignment] brief of Donatella herself. The project concluded with an exhibition at the American Center for Art and Culture. Six students were chosen to accompany her work to Milan to present it to Donatella.
The brief we received from Donatella Versace and the design team was to design a look inspired by a combination of two Versace archive looks, one created by Gianni Versace and the other by Donatella. I received one look from the fall/winter 1994 collection and one from fall/winter 2012; the common link between the two is their materiality. They were two interpretations of the iconic metallic mesh fabric that Gianni is credited for developing.
What was your artistic process for this project?
From the beginning, I really prioritized research for this project, and I didn’t feel like I could adequately deliver on the [assignment] without a comprehensive understanding of the brand. After doing extensive research on the brand, including its DNA and history, I decided to link the ancient Greek research. [by studying] ancient art, artifacts and mythology. Drawing inspiration from an iconic Richard Avedon photograph from the 1994 collection, as well as the way Versace portrays women as goddesses and warriors, I chose the goddess of war, Athena, as my muse when designing my looks.
I also approached the project as an opportunity to learn as many new skills as possible. I love to learn, which I always hope to do, no matter where I am in my career. I focused on developing my own material, so I learned a traditional method of putting together chain mail by hand. In over 90 hours, I combined over 5,660 rings to form the chainmail skirt.
I combined that with 3D printed parts derived from a scan of the ancient Athena Parthenos statue from Pergamon, which I digitally manipulated and modified to create the elements of the skirt before printing. I also made an effort to learn new wet-moulded leather techniques for both the bags and the bra top I developed. I really wanted to prioritize accessories for this look as they are an essential aspect of my practice as a designer.
What was it like introducing Donatella Versace?
Introducing Donatella was by far the most significant honor and surreal experience of my career as a fashion designer thus far. A year ago, I never thought I’d get the chance to collaborate with a brand like Versace, let alone meet Donatella. And even at the beginning of the project, I never could have anticipated having the unparalleled opportunity to present my work to you and receive personalized feedback.
The whole time I was in front of her, explaining to her the work that she couldn’t have been more proud of, it felt like a dream. She couldn’t have been more humble, genuine, or eager to see and discuss our [student] to work. And for her to respond so positively to my work, to hear her exclaim “wow” when I walked into the room with my work, was the icing on the cake.
How would you describe your art?
I am a designer of women’s clothing and accessories, specializing in leather work. Women and the female body inspire me infinitely. I use my work to question and challenge the standards imposed on all kinds of bodies while [also] telling the story of my own experiences that have shaped my identity as a woman. Craftsmanship and innovative solutions are essential pillars of my work, incorporating less traditional materials such as metal, 3D printed plastic and wet molded leather. Much of my work also exists in the space between accessories, clothing and jewelry, and the space between fashion and sculpture.
How did your time at VCUarts prepare you for a career as a fashion designer?
The Fashion Design + Merchandising department at VCUarts gave me a solid foundation to enter the industry. It’s a very technical program, which gave me a strong skill set and an understanding of the nitty-gritty of the industry. I firmly believe that you have to learn the rules before you break them, and I believe that the strong technical foundation, including a comprehensive understanding of pattern making, garment making, and collection planning, that I learned while at VCUarts is what Lets thrive now at Parsons Paris. [Also] … I miss Richmond! Paris is the most amazing city I’ve ever been to, but I often miss Richmond and its unique character.
What are you working on now? what are your plans for the future?
I am about to start my second and final year of my MFA… I will be concentrating on my graduate thesis collection during my last two semesters while also [working] as an apprentice to an incredible leather craftsman, Robert Mercier, who has produced work for Schiaparelli, Loewe, Balmain and Jean Paul Gaultier.
It will be an opportunity for me to learn from someone who is the best in the world at his craft. After presenting my graduate collection next May, I hope to stay in Europe or the UK as I see myself fitting into the industry there, particularly in Paris. My dream company to design would be Schiaparelli, and I hope to find a position in leather goods or accessories design.
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Source: news.vcu.edu