Document Type

Artistic Work or Expression

Publication Date

2008

Abstract

Designer Statement: Casual Elegance

As a Southern Scholar, my Senior Project deals with a subject that is not widely talked about: the elegance of everyday. I believe that there are some design elements which can be manipulated on a daily basis to achieve Casual Elegance, and thus gain physical, social, and spiritual benefits. As a designer graduating with a B.A. in Art, I want to point out specific designs that could be used to achieve the level of elegance and sophistication to which I am referring.

As an art major I had a show at the School of Visual Art and Design Gallery, located on the second floor of Brock Hall. In this show I tried to demonstrate some of the works of art that express my personal concept of casual elegance. These works of art include fashion garments designed and made, a display of graphical designs, illustrations, portraits, drawings, design-process panels, and a slide show of design elements in architecture.

The purpose of these works of art was to convey my philosophy as an designer. My concept of an elegant design was strengthened by my internship in New York City, working under clothing designer Rachel Roy. I believe in living elegandy everyday as part of one's identity. It is my purpose to convey that casual elegance, or being sophisticated, can be a continuous way of life. To me, casual elegance is striving to achieve an elegant lifestyle that includes the fulfillment of events that could help improve one's life physically, socially and spiritually.

Even when we-as humans-are not perfect, we can choose the designs for our lives to accomplish the stated purposes. I want to show that casual elegance is living a purposefully design-driven lifestyle; it is an attitude lived out every day. Such design elements can come from inspiration sources that comprise of color choices, fabrics, textures, weights, cuts and embellishments. I will try to describe such elements as they are shown.

-Carlos Solano

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