Meet This Year’s Easton Fashion Award Winner

Details, hard work and dedication: three of the main qualities in a Columbus College of Art & Design (CCAD) fashion student! To celebrate the end of the school year, CCAD recently held their Senior Finale Fashion Show—a special event showcasing the amazing work accomplished by senior students. We had an opportunity to attend this year’s show and were impressed with all the creations we saw on the runway.

As part of our commitment to CCAD, and the Columbus fashion community, we award one special CCAD senior with the Easton Fashion Award each year. The winner of this year’s award is Kristen Wyant! We sat down with Kristen to learn more about the inspiration behind her signature styles and how it felt to receive this award.

Congratulations on winning this year’s Easton Fashion Award! How many competitors were you going up against, and how does it feel to be selected as the winner?

There were 18 of us from my CCAD senior class. It feels surreal to be the winner of the Easton Fashion Award because for years I’ve watched other CCAD designers I’ve looked up to receive it. Seeing them go on stage to be handed this glass dress form seemed like such an honor, and now I’m living it! It doesn’t seem real that I’m taking their place.

How would you describe your personal style?

I’m very picky about style. I don’t wear anything fancy unless the occasion calls for it, but when it does call for it, boy do I answer! I mostly wear jeans and a t-shirt throughout the week. When I do need to dress up for an occasion, I really try and bring out the best clothes from my closet. I don’t like looking like everyone else in the room—I want to stand out and call attention to what I’m wearing. I feel you can see this strongly in my CCAD senior collection. Each of my looks are meant to stand out and catch people’s eyes.

Where do you get inspiration for all your creations?

Inspiration, for me, takes many different forms. The most influential being video game concept art and other game design art. The designers who are creating the characters don’t really think of how the actual garment is made—they just want the character to wear something interesting. They dismiss the rules of gravity and physics, but it’s my job to figure out how it should be created in real life. It gets me thinking a lot more on the creative side and about how I can take their design and make it real and wearable.

What are big trends you see coming up in the fashion industry?

Younger generations are starting to think a lot more about what goes into the garments on the sales racks. With sustainability and climate change circling around the world, it’s hard not to notice or feel guilty buying a $5 top that was made poorly and will likely fall apart quickly. I feel people are starting to put a little more money in their wardrobe for quality pieces that will last a long time. You’ll see that brands are figuring this out, too! They want to produce quality garments that will keep you coming into the store.

Thanks for sitting down with us, Kristin! We hope to see your fashions, and those from other aspiring Columbus designers, in stores at Easton one day!