Fur, Feathers, & Native American Tribes All Brought Together.

U of M Seniors Hit the Runway With Their 2011 Lines Titles Distortion

By: Delaney Nelson

        As we (myself along with a few other FRM students) entered Rapson Hall on the U of M campus expectations weren’t exactly set yet. While waiting in line at Will Call local industry professionals along with students, fans, family members, and other excited fashionistas began to flow in. Spotting Allison Hamzehpour, president of Ignite Models, and Mary O’Reagan, Senior Fashion Editor for Metro Magazine, the excitement for what was to come began to grow.

The sophomore designers were just finishing as we took our seats. As I paged through pamphlet featuring the different senior designs I noticed only one male in the lineup, right away this struck an interest. Nick Ruffalo was among the 18 senior designers set to show for the night. How would he stack up against the other 17 women that were to dominant the show? We were about to find out!

Robin Robbinson took stage to the stage to announce the next generation, the Junior class. It was exciting and interesting to see what the talent looked like for next year, but anticipation to see what the senior class had in store was building.

One by one each of the 18 designers showed off their unique designs. Finally the 11th designer to show was Nick Ruffalo. From the music to the designs it screamed tribal influences. I quickly began to record his unique designs; barefoot models, 2-3 stripped bands painted on legs and arms, short textured hemlines, feathers, headdresses. The designer showed his looks on four different models. 

      These Models walked the runway sporting leather ankle and wrist bands with long feather coming up and out of the bands. A feather headdress that reached the floor was another unique element to his show. And to make this influence even stronger the designer had all of his females models walking barefoot.  According to the Nick’s Concept Bio in the fashion show pamphlet he “creates an eco-conscious line using recycled couch leather, scrap fur, and vintage feathers paired with unbleached silk and muslin.” His line was made up of three main colors, golden yellow, darker blue-green, and mango red; all of course hand-dyed.

     From the texture, cut, colors, fabrics used to the music chosen for the models to walk to, Nick brought the Native America tribal influence not only to his designs, but to the whole Rapson Hall. I don’t think that a single individual watching his show could argue otherwise. Even as Nick took his walk down the runway with his models his own style reflected this. So how would this single lone male amongst 17 women designers stack up? He brought something unique, distorted, and truly breathe taking to the 2011 Senior Fashion Show Distortion. My opinion is only one of many though of the viewers that came to the show that night, but his designs are defiantly ones that created an impression.

Contributors:

University of Minnesota

Robin Robibnson

Nick Ruffalo

Photos:

Stacy Schwartz (City Pages)

Work Cited:

Distortion: 43rd Annual College of Design Fashion Show. University of Minnesota, Rapson Hall. Feb. 19, 2011.

Schwartz, Stacy. U of M ‘Distortion’ Fashion Show: Next Crop of Local Designers? 2011. Photograph. Minneapolis. City Pages. 20 Feb. 2011. Web. 20 Feb. 2011. <http://www.citypages.com/slideshow/u-of-m-distortion-fashion-show-next-crop-of-local-designers--32616978/25/>

Pictured:

Model #! modeling Nick Ruffalo pants with side sticking, tank top and feathered headdress with tail.

Model #2 featured Nick Ruffalo leather ankelts with feathers.

Nick Ruffalo taking his walk at the end of the show.