Right here, right now: a review of NSCAD’s fashion gala

It was a packed ballroom last Saturday night as NSCAD’s annual fundraising fashion gala prepped to send models strutting down the runway. Bodies made way to seats and the university’s president, Dianne Taylor-Gearing, gave opening remarks about how the art school “is the future, always looking ahead as it carries its rich, historic past.”

As each collection swished by, it became clear she wasn’t the only one thinking of the future. Most of the students’ lines fit on a continuum between where today’s trends are pointing and what we’ll all wear after Trump’s Twitter feed forces society to start over.

The show kicked off with Kate Campbell’s optimistic view of tomorrow, rendered in sharply-panelled suit separates that felt at once boardroom-ready and sci-fi flick inspired.
Next, NSCAD Sharing Collective’s delightfully wild scavenger-chic group collection—like Cormac McCarthy’s The Road dressed in a riot of colours and textures—shared pilgrim-necked dresses topped in knitted vests and oversized, pink worker’s aprons acting as genderless gowns. The feel was intentional chaos, but with each item acting as a statement piece, the mania began to tip out of control.

Three separate collections grounded themselves in minimalist black sheaths. Anastasia Pindera's take on monochrome was best, rendering a utilitarian uniform vibe; Big Brother may have chosen the black linen-y smocks, but he overlooked any rules about embellishment, with Pindera's models sporting details like white epaulets, oversized pendants and sky-high hemlines flawlessly.

For a bit more near-future, in a world rightly infatuated with Black Panther and Lena Waithe, Monique F. Anderson’s meditation on Black womanhood felt new, now and necessary. A collection of Black models wore glitzy lamé gowns with hoods and pouch pockets with towering golden heels.
Benjamin Waye’s eponymous line—a collection of sculpted trumpet skirts and geometric tops frosted with loose knitting—fell straight from the pages of Vogue, a jolt of wardrobe-waking energy hitting the sweet spot between haute couture and ready-to-wear.

It was a night of ball gowns and loungewear, of stark minimalism and over-the-top maximalism. It was an exciting glimpse of new talent that’s just getting started, and a look at the future through multiple, accessorized angles.