Congratulations to Peter Shonoda from SCAD Savannah on winning the gold at the GFW24 International Catwalk! This remarkable achievement showcases his exceptional talent and creativity, marking a significant milestone in his fashion design career.
What is the most valuable thing you have learnt at university?
Patience and commitment are two of the most valuable lessons I’ve learnt throughout my journey. Beyond the technical skills of sewing, draping, and construction, I’ve come to understand that hard work requires both time and effort. The university has played a crucial role in helping me remain dedicated to my vision, teaching me the importance of perseverance in achieving success.
What was the starting point of inspiration for your final project?
My senior collection was born from a personal experience. It tells the story of Nour, who was born and raised in an abusive and dysfunctional family. Their environment impacts every aspect of their being, and for years they cope, but eventually they make an escape into the light. They are free. The chains that held them so heavily cannot be seen anymore. The routine that they meticulously curated to survive no longer exists. The structure of their life has crumbled, and their glow lit brighter than ever. The dark was gone, no longer here with us. Newness is all they feel. However, once they have discovered the light, they realise that the darkness has become a part of them. And it turns into the internal battle between the light and the dark, and they need to make peace with it.
“Nour swings between times of light, joy, freedom, breaking free, feeling like the most powerful and prideful, to times of darkness and sorrow, numbness, nothingness, and emotionless guilt. It begins to feel like Nour isn't in a cage, but rather the cage is part of Nour. Nour can't escape the cage. Nour can sleep a few nights without wrapping their arms so tightly around themselves, but eventually, Nour will tense up again and guard their deepest darkness all night. But Nour knows they're special. Their very deepest inner core knows that they will make it. Make it out, make it in the world. They know they're not like the others. They have this total belief and complete conviction that they are special. Their innermost has produced a power and capability to endure that no other has. It has produced light in The Dark Delusion of the Light.”
What form did your project take?
A five-look garment collection that combines concealed protective silhouettes, dark religious notions, and bespoke tailoring to create a fully gender-neutral collection that emanated from the battle between the deepest darkness and the rebirth of light.
What materials have you used, and how did you source them?
When choosing the fabrics for my collection, I aimed to achieve garments that were timeless yet unique. Which is why my fabrics consisted of wool and silk. I chose wools that are super 120s, which are of the finest and highest quality from Italy. This story is beyond sophisticated and needed matching fabrics to convey it. Part of these garments being timeless means these garments don’t just have one life, but rather they become more beautiful as they age. They remain high in value as they are made of high-quality materials and constructed using bespoke tailoring, an art of constructing suits using a technique developed in London's Saville Row that requires creating everything from scratch and using meticulous techniques, threads, and canvases that I learnt for months before and during my collection. The beauty of these garments is also in their inclusivity. They are completely genderless and speak to the viewer regardless of their identity.
How has it evolved from your initial ideas, and what have you learnt along the way?
My designs were constantly evolving along my design process. I believe I’ve maintained a pretty strong connection to my initial ideas. However, refinements were always made along the way. Sometimes simplifying things can deliver your message more clearly. I was constantly refining darts or ease. Fitting on the model completely changes the shape of your garment compared to the dress form. I was also refining the relationship of the shoe to the bottom of the garments, or the sleeve to the end of the blazer. How does the garment sit when it is still versus when it walks? I was also experimenting with different canvases and horsehairs to ensure my blazers are standing correctly. The process of developing this collection taught me many things. Sometimes you need a break; you need to walk away from the work and rest, and it’s not giving up; it's rest. Other times you need to push your body beyond its limits; our bodies are much stronger than we think when we are passionate about something. Sometimes, you need to take apart a whole blazer the night before jury and restructure the inside, and it might just end up being your favourite piece, which is exactly what happened to me.
What are the messages and themes behind your project that you want people to take away?
I’m always intrigued by how I can communicate emotion in my work and how the viewer interprets it; making the viewer feel an emotion is something I heavily valued in my senior collection. Exploring art or experiences that aren’t conventionally beautiful and finding beauty in them is a big part of my design approach. I want my client to feel connected to my garments through a feeling that my clothes evoke in them. All of this is completed through the creation of a fantasy, a dark and overwhelming fantasy, and an essential part of that for me is custom-made accessories. All the footwear, bags, and jewellery for my senior collection were custom designed and created for The Dark Delusion of the Light; singularly, they too stand and convey my message. Another area of interest for me is exploring design with genderless motives. Tailoring is inherently gender neutral, and my silhouettes try to play on that. Along with a strong message, an evoked emotion, bespoke construction, and gender neutrality, my garments stand as a piece of wearable art to my client that aims to never go out of fashion but only age finely as they are worn.
What’s an aspect of the fashion industry that you’re passionate about fixing or having a positive impact on?
When observing the fashion industry from the lens of a designer, I would love to see fellow designers use their truly unique experiences to base their collections, even the ones that aren’t as pleasant or palatable. Embracing those very unique experiences is what births collections that evoke emotions, silhouettes that convey drama, and designs that we haven’t seen before. We live in a day and age where social media is oversaturated with designs and fast fashion is faster than ever; it’s now more than ever that we need you to be truly yourself. Today, people are less afraid to explore who they could be and embrace their less beautiful authentic experiences.
What are you planning to do following your BA?
I am excited to contribute to a leading fashion house, assisting in the development of runway collections while further honing my skills and vision for my own brand.
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