University of Cincinnati
05/08/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/09/2026 02:20
UC and the future of fashion
UC and the future of fashion
The stories behind fashion design students' innovative looks presented in annual show
5 minute read May 8, 2026 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn Share on Reddit Print Story Like
Right after the University of Cincinnati's commencement, graduating fashion design students presented a culmination of their student experience: A runway collection uniquely tailored to each artist's vision.
The 43 graduating fashion design students of UC's College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP) presented nearly 200 creations from graduating seniors that ranged from ready-to-wear knits to avant-garde corsetry in the 73rd annual DAAP fashion show, DAAPFASH26.
Wilson is the associate director of student affairs and an adjunct professor in DAAP's School of Design. Photo/An Le
The event marked show director Laurie Wilson's 30th year running the senior showcase, complete with a live DJ and immersive lighting.
"This year's class has done really wonderful collections," Wilson, associate director of student affairs and adjunct professor in DAAP's School of Design, said. "Many are odes to their passage of life, education and doing their co-ops."
UC is the birthplace of cooperative education, a system of alternating classroom or studio work with semesters working in the industry, with students gaining invaluable real-world experience.
Fostering creativity through co-op
Douglas incorporated leather into her final collection after learning techniques at her co-op. Photo/Kevin Gonzalez Bolanos
Graduating designer Aleiya Douglas said her collection, "Softer Than Flowers, Stronger Than Thunder," was heavily inspired by her final co-op at Kentucky-based leathermaker Clayton & Crume. Douglas stayed late after work to craft her collection with the leatherworking resources available at her co-op employer.
"The co-op program is so amazing and is the reason so many of us leave college with so much experience," Douglas said. "You might enter college thinking you want to do bridal, do a co-op, and then realize that's not what you want. The co-op program helps a lot in figuring out what you want to do in the industry."
For Douglas, that's continuing to design leather goods.
And the leatherwork in her collection carries a deeper meaning, too, using both soft fabrics and durable leather to represent coexistence. "I feel like I am a very soft-hearted person, but in today's world there's a lot of hate. It's very easy to take that anger out on people around you unintentionally," she explained. "Kindness doesn't mean you are weak."
Connecting threads
Already an aspiring designer, graduate Marissa Cheslock came to DAAP for the hands-on approach to the fashion design program.
Cheslock started sewing when she was only five years old. She comes from a family of artisans including jewelers and engravers, and her collection is an homage to that history.
"My grandmother was a quilter," she said. "I was her first grandkid that had the patience to sit down and be taught how to sew."
Each piece in Cheslock's collection was transformed from plain white cloth. Photo/Caroline Eyer
Her collection, "Unless Asked," is a celebration of the hands that touch a project that the average viewer would not know about. Each piece started out as plain white fabric, manipulated using designs that honor her family and techniques she learned at her co-ops.
"I came to DAAP because of the co-op program," she emphasized. Her five co-op rotations had her working with organizations including dye shops and retail apparel in cities across the country. She'll be joining her penultimate co-op employer, the Live Well Collective, full time after graduation.
Award-winning avant-garde
Lane's bold collection closed out the show. Photo/Kevin Gonzalez Bolanos
"I like DAAP specifically because I feel like I've been given a lot of creative freedom. My professors appreciate when my work is out of the box," said designer Addison Lane.
He credits professor Stephanie Wood, who mentored him on corsetry, as a major inspiration for his creations. His collection, "Pilot," closed out the showcase with over-the-top looks made of heavy industrial materials including leather and waxed canvas.
Lane played with proportion and scale in his collection. Photo/Aaliyah Sansone
The collection earned two awards during DAAPworks, the weeklong exhibition of DAAP student creations across disciplines. One was a director's choice award from the School of Design and the other was presented by the Cincinnati Opera to celebrate creative impact.
"I loved my experience at DAAP. I fell in love with everything I was learning here," Lane said. "I've been given the freedom to try nontraditional routes which has contributed to my success."
Your career is next
Through one of the nation's most robust co-op programs, UC students don't just learn about their future - they live it, alternating classroom study with real, career-shaping experience in industries around the world.
Students: Earn while you learn at UC.
Employers: Find your next hire.
Featured image at top of Lane's collection on the runway at the DAAP fashion show. Photo/Kevin Gonzalez Bolanos
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