The University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP) graduating fashion design students presented their final collections in the 73rd annual DAAP fashion show, DAAPFASH26, following commencement on May 8. The event featured nearly 200 creations from 43 seniors and included a range of styles from ready-to-wear knits to avant-garde corsetry.
The showcase marked Laurie Wilson’s 30th year as show director. Wilson, associate director of student affairs and adjunct professor in DAAP’s School of Design, said: “This year’s class has done really wonderful collections. Many are odes to their passage of life, education and doing their co-ops.”
UC is known as the birthplace of cooperative education. The system allows students to alternate between classroom or studio work and semesters working in the industry to gain real-world experience. Graduating designer Aleiya Douglas described how her collection was influenced by her co-op at Kentucky-based leathermaker Clayton & Crume. “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.” Douglas plans to continue designing leather goods after graduation.
Marissa Cheslock also highlighted the importance of hands-on learning at DAAP: “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.” Her collection paid tribute to family traditions and techniques learned during five co-op rotations with organizations across various cities.
Designer Addison Lane credited professor Stephanie Wood for mentorship on corsetry for his collection “Pilot,” which closed out the show with looks made from industrial materials like leather and waxed canvas. Lane received two awards during DAAPworks week: one from the School of Design director and another from Cincinnati Opera for creative impact. “I loved my experience at DAAP. I fell in love with everything I was learning here,” Lane said.
Graduates emphasized that UC’s cooperative education model provided creative freedom while preparing them for careers after graduation.