The largest run student fashion show is a rather hefty title to acclaim to but year after year, Mass Exodus, run by the Ryerson School of Fashion exceeds expectations with a marvellous array of breathtaking student creations that manifest on the runway.
So if you’re a newbie to all things Mass Ex, here’s your breakdown:
– Divided into two components, the show is a series of runway shows during the course of a day as well as an exhibition of visually communicated work – all of which is produced by the graduating class at The School of Fashion. You’ll spot the posters, the press and the media frenzy often towards early to mid April each year.
– So who puts on this spectacle of an occasion?
Alongside the Chair of the School and various esteemed faculty, Mass Exodus is a product of the third year fashion communication ‘Fashion Promotion’ class that spans from September to April with teams of over 70 students with an addition of hundreds of models, volunteers, hair and makeup artists, videographers and photographers. (Yes, kudos to the third years for always coming through stronger each year!)
– Curated? Non-curated? What?!
Incoming students, attendees and volunteers are always asking? What’s the difference between each show? Well, depending on the location (which we will get to in a second), the show is divided into various time slots to allow for audience members to attend a show best suited to them, as well as ensuring the location of the show can maintain the amount of attendees comfortably. So now all about the curation! Well, with often over 50 students in the graduating design class – that can mean a lot of clothing! So the first few shows, often incorporate the designs of every designer from the graduating class but to close, a curator usually makes the final selects on what hits the runway for the VIP Invite Only evening show.
From Jeanne Beker to Todd Lynn, The School of Fashion has always had the pleasure of working with fine curators to make the final runway selects of the best work – a project runway feel in a sense. Albeit perhaps rather unfair simply because it is based on the aesthetic of one designer, more or less the selects have always highlighted the strongest contenders from the graduating design class.
– And the communication students?
As their designer peers have their work exhibition on a runway, the communication students exhibit their ‘capstone’ project – a graduating thesis that investigates the industry in a personalized manner. Often times, many of these graduating communications students have partaken in the execution of Mass Exodus the year prior for their Fashion Promotion class.
– Where does this magical event take place?
The evolution of Mass Exodus has taken it from the Ryerson Theatre to the Mattamy Athletic Centre to 2016’s newest location at Ryerson University’s Student Learning Centre.
Stay tuned for more updates on our editors reviews on Mass Ex 2016! Have any questions, comments or thoughts? Let us know below!
