‘Perforations’ celebrates fashion, art, sustainability

By Charlie Cruz     3/4/25 11:03pm

Inside Anderson Hall, student designers, models and artists gathered for “InThread” and “Archi-Arts,” two student-run showcases that blurred the line between fashion and visual art. This year’s shared theme, “Perforations,” explored transformation — through cut fabric, layered textures and fragmented materials.  

Wiess College senior Annie McKenzie said attending Archi-Arts for the first time was eye-opening.  

“I was impressed by the variety,” McKenzie said. “The photographs, sculptures, charcoal drawings — even a quilt that used technology to print images and text — it was stunning.”  

---

---

The theme carried into the InThread runway show, where fabric was cut, reworked and intertwined.  

“You could see it in the way fabrics were layered and reconstructed,” McKenzie said. “It mirrored the way different art mediums came together in the gallery.”  

Imogen Brown, a Duncan College senior, said modeling for the first time was a leap into the unknown.  

“I’ve never modeled before, but I wanted to push myself,” Brown said. “Seeing how much effort went into every detail — the designs, the staging, the coordination — was incredible.”  

She was invited to model by Andrew Ondara, an InThread designer, whose work embodied the show’s theme.  

“I thrifted old blankets and sweaters, then cut and restructured them,” said Ondara, a Jones College senior. “One piece was a conjoined dress and sweater — two models walked the runway connected at the sleeves, forced to move together.”  

His standout design reflected the core of the theme — movement, fragmentation and reinterpretation of material, he said.  

“I don’t like to assign meaning to my work,” Ondara said. “I think people should interpret it in their own way. But I love when people come up to me and ask, ‘How did you make that?’ That’s the best part — seeing how people engage with it.”  

Lucas Salaberry, a Will Rice College sophomore, said the show was immersive.  

“The lighting, the music, the way the models moved — it wasn’t just a runway, it was a performance,” Salaberry said. “Even the smallest details felt intentional.”  

That sense of cohesion extended beyond just the layout, according to Amy Lam, who designed jewelry that was featured in both InThread and Archi-Arts, reinforcing the interplay between fashion and visual art.

“I wanted my jewelry to respond to the clothing around it,” said Lam, a Lovett College senior. “Some pieces were bold, others were more subtle. The show let me highlight how jewelry interacts with the body, while the gallery let people engage with it as standalone art.”  

McKenzie said Anderson Hall’s layout contributed to the experience.  

“Having the art on the second floor and the fashion show on the first created a sense of connection while still keeping them distinct,” McKenzie said. “The different walkways let you see how everything fits together from multiple perspectives.”  

InThread is still in its early stages, Lam said. It was founded last year to provide Rice’s fashion community with a dedicated platform for artistic expression.  

“There wasn’t a space for student designers before this,” Lam said. “We had ArchiMarkets for selling art, but nothing dedicated to fashion as an artistic practice.”  

For many, the showcase represents a growing demand for spaces where art and design intersect.  

“There’s so much creative talent at Rice that doesn’t always get recognized,” Ondara said. “Events like this prove there’s real interest in fashion, design and wearable art — it’s just about creating spaces for it.”  

McKenzie said she sees Archi-Arts as vital to Rice’s creative culture.  

“Events like this show students that there are creative outlets beyond formal art classes,” McKenzie said. “They build community and foster a more interdisciplinary education.”  

As a senior, McKenzie said she will not be around for the next Archi-Arts. Still, she hopes to see more languages incorporated into the exhibition’s labels and programs to reflect Rice’s international student body, she said.  

“There were a lot of international artists,” McKenzie said. “It would be great to see that represented more visibly.”  

For Brown, stepping onto the runway for the first time wasn’t just about fashion — it was about pushing herself.  

“I was nervous, but I’m so glad I did it,” Brown said. “At the end of the day, it’s about celebrating student creativity. And that’s what makes it worth it.” 

---