In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cornell Fashion Collective was unable to host their annual fashion show in Barton Hall, the university’s indoor track field. With new regulations, the show was moved outdoors to the Arts Quad for the first time in the event’s 40-year history.

Given that the identity of a student show resides not in a single designer, but rather within a collective of students, the runway had to function as a backdrop for a multitude of ideas. Amidst the network of pathways composing the Quad, a singular lane was chosen to serve as our runway. This path was articulated by a linear white tent that marched across the vast field, oscillating between transparency and opaqueness to orchestrate a rhythmic interplay of light on the catwalk.

As the tent had a lifespan beyond the show, the skeletal frame was to remain on site for three days after, we also considered its presence in the absence of the runway show as it was being  dismantled. We installed a series of seven sculptures along the length of the skeleton that echoed a similar visual language.