The Clothes Horse legacy continues. A showcase of UTS third-year students’ proudest works was presented to family, friends, tutors, and the industry. Featuring a range of textiles, colour palettes, seam finishes, and silhouettes, the installation celebrated wearable art. It was a vibrant display of creativity, transforming the space into a tapestry of textures, intricate craftsmanship, and innovative concepts.
(Photo: @ssageriley)
Following the success of last year, Clothes Horse returned in December with another stunning showcase of UTS fashion talent. This year’s exhibition, brought to life by a dynamic team of organisers — Bonnie McKee, Matilda Park, Nicole Tran, Connor Brown, and Eloise Chang-Hunter — cemented its place as a highlight of the university’s design calendar.
The two-day showcase was held in Flow Studios in Camperdown, where students’ work was displayed on hangers, alongside their designer statement, with the runway being on the first night.
A celebratory atmosphere was created with drinks sponsored by Ok! Seltzer and Yulli’s brews, along with a DJ on site. Each student displayed one look on a hanger and one look on a model for the runway. Students’ lookbooks, videos, and postcards were all exhibited for the audience to see.
“Clothes Horse was an absolutely amazing finish to our fashion degrees… Backstage was the most exciting part for me, seeing the flurry of friends and their models doing finishing touches for the runway and getting to see everyone’s projects all together!”, said fashion student Ellen Shearsby.
“The evening began with friends and family arriving for drinks and exploring the gallery of hanging works. The runway was a course around the studio and up the stairs around us, which gave everyone a perfect view.
“My favourite part of the night was all the models coming out for their last walk, lining up together across the balcony above and showing off all the looks in one go! It was such a lovely time to see all our classmates and celebrate together. Many of us had extended our degrees from covid! It was a well deserved finish!”
(Photo: @ellen___portfolio)
As one of the students who had their looks displayed myself, Clothes Horse was definitely an unforgettable experience. The exhibition offered a unique opportunity for those not pursuing honours to showcase their work, and seeing garments I had meticulously crafted throughout the semester exhibited on models and walls was incredibly gratifying.
The event marked the culmination of a demanding semester, with students agreeing that the stress of late nights and tight deadlines was all worth it to see their creations on display.
Promotion kicked off in early September, building anticipation with weekly reveals of each designer’s work and design statement on the Clothes Horse Instagram (@clothes__horse). The steady stream of posts kept excitement high, motivating students to push through the challenges of the semester to deliver their best work.
Jessica Davis, one of the invitees at Clothes Horse thought that it was a fun night to celebrate the graduates and their work.
“The vibes were definitely good and groovy due to the music and atmosphere. I felt the stairs and runway going up to the second floor was interesting and showed many perspectives of the garments. I especially thought how all the models lined up on the second floor was an effective end to the show and displayed the uniqueness and individuality of everyone’s work next to each other.”
(Photo: @ssageriley)
The Clothes Horse showcase was, yet again, a great success. The venue buzzed with energy as people explored the incredible designs created by this year’s students. The unique runway setup, with models weaving through the audience, made the experience all the more special. It was heartwarming to see my peers’ hard work and creativity on display, with loved ones cheering them on and holding beautiful bouquets of flowers. The atmosphere was truly inspiring, and I hope this tradition continues for next year’s cohort so even more students get the chance to share their amazing work with everyone else.
(Photo: @ssageriley)
On behalf of the 2024 third year cohort, thank you so much to the students for doing such an excellent job at organising Clothes Horse this year!