BEN VITÓN
Fashion is an industry that heeds only to the revolutionaries who respect tradition, and respectfully decline to continue it. A recent graduate from the College of Interdisciplinary Sciences and Arts and the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at Arizona State University, I honed a multidisciplinary perspective of fashion as a business and an art that transcends fabric. I am fascinated by the world of accessories and the freedom they grant to be more fantastical than the garments they adorn, leading me to explore the potential of wearable technology.
BAGS FOR THE REVOLUTION
I, Ben Vitón, do not condone the literal eating of the rich, nor am I suggesting public beheadings as a means of resolving the calamitous disarray of the current global socio-political sphere. Bouis Vuitton: Bags for the Revolution is a capsule collection of unapologetically vocal luxury bags.
Bearing the parody name “Bouis Vuitton”, I’ve inserted only my first initial into the luxury brand’s potent name, as my last name, “Vitón”, is audibly identical to the authentic pronunciation of “Vuitton”. A salute to the knock-off luxury market affirms the intent of the collection to celebrate a new ruling class – the working class.
Slogans, “EAT THE RICH” and “HEADS WILL ROLL”, broadcast my signature disregard for authority and establishment. Though, should the venue be Sunday mass, one could easily program something more appropriate for the occasion.
This is Bouis Vuitton: Bags for the Revolution.
A TRACKSUIT DESIGNED FOR THE MATERIALS RESEARCH SOCIETY CONFERENCE. AWARDED BEST IN SHOW FOR FUNCTIONALITY AND DESIGN.
I believe I’m doing a service when I make people uncomfortable, and a graphic T for every occasion doesn’t exactly pack a punch. Transparency was inspired by the capacity of awareness and education to eliminate stigma. The taboo topic that got the ball rolling: sexual health.
With the evolution of a sex-positive generation, the conversation must adapt to acknowledge and eliminate the stigma of sexually transmitted infections like HIV. Clothing that actively displays the wearer’s most recent testing information is a motion to acknowledge sexual health as neutral data, rather than assigning negative stigma to a positive status. Clothing that can be re-programmed as the conversation evolves is the future of outspoken high-fashion.
For the Materials Research Society conference, the tracksuit broadcasted “STIGMA HAS A CURE" with independent microchips in the jacket and pants powered by slim lithium ion batteries. Layered woven nylon over nylon mesh created a lightweight, semi-transparent textile capable of concealing the custom LED displays. This project introduced me to the powerful intersection of fashion and technology, which I expanded on for my thesis collection for Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University.
ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY
Graduated Magna Cum Laude, May 2019
COLLEGE OF INTEGRATIVE SCIENCES AND ARTS
B.A. Interdisciplinary Studies in Business and Film Production
New American University Hispanic Scholar
Gammage Scholar
HERBERGER INSTITUTE FOR DESIGN AND THE ARTS
Minor in Fashion Design
Studied garment construction under Galina Mihaleva, couturier and professor at Nanyang Technical University Singapore, 2017-2018
Featured in Uncertainty Fashion Show, 2018
Re-Denim installation in Scottsdale Fashion Square: created up-cycled denim dress from thrifted dark-wash Wrangler jeans
WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY
Learned basic techniques for constructing and programming Arduino microchips
Designed and programmed ‘Transparency’ tracksuit incorporating LED displays concealed within semi-transparent textiles
Awarded Best in Show for both functionality and design in Materials Research Society Conference, 2018
Exhibited in Scottsdale Fashion Square Installation, Summer 2018, and Scottsdale Fashion Square Spring Fashion Show, Spring 2019
PHOENIX ART MUSEUM
CURATORIAL ASSISTANT FOR FASHION DESIGN, Jan-Oct 2019
Provided administrative and project support to the Jacquie Durance Curator for Fashion Design
Coordinated efforts of marketing department, preparators, and registrars for the execution of multi-gallery fashion exhibitions
Designed multi-gallery fashion illustration exhibition Antonio: The Fine Art of Fashion Illustration
Worked with the preservation and display of garments spanning four centuries
RALPH RUCCI TEAM
Attended Paris Couture Week FW19 as an assistant to the Rucci team for Mr. Rucci’s return to the runway under his RR331 label, July 2019
Assisted with local materials and accessories for runway presentation in Paris - including embroidery supplies, custom glasses, and shoes
Generated call sheets and spreadsheets, managed model attendance and hair and makeup
Coordinated runway production needs with The Ritz, Paris venue staff to assist full production
At Phoenix Art Museum, I studied garments spanning three centuries of textile and construction evolution. In the studio, I’ve learned to question the future of fashion - technology, quality, sustainability. In the field, I have fed my inclination for the center of the action alongside an American fashion legend. I am ready to immerse myself in the problem-solving environments that are the foundation to an unpredictable and competitive artistic industry. And I’m going to have fun doing it.
