Pratt Student Designs Take Over Macy’s Windows

Every February, with the arrival of fashion week, New Yorkers are reminded of why the city is one of the fashion meccas of the world. A plethora of shows and events overwhelm the city, with every designer hoping that their collection is what everyone will be talking about. This year some aspiring young designers from Pratt Institute have been given the opportunity to showcase their work to the city in the iconic windows of Macy’s Herald Square through February 13.

Organic Matter: Woven Artwear by Pratt Fashion—an exhibit dedicated to the unexpected possibilities of knitwear design—was first shown at Ralph Pucci’s Gallery Nine. Pratt fashion students were challenged to re-think the form, function, and design of knitwear as fine art, working exclusively with neutral-colored yarn to complement Ralph Pucci’s classic MANNEQUIN collection in matte grey. Pucci, renowned for his high-end mannequin, lighting, furniture, and sculpture company, partnered with the Institute and worked closely with fashion chair Jennifer Minniti and assistant professor Susan Cianciolo to select top projects, choosing the winning ensembles based upon materials along with scale, proportion, line, color, and texture.

 The designs were first show at Ralph Pucci’s Gallery Nine, before being unveiled in Macy’s windows last week.

Paul Olszewski, the director of flagship windows for the department store views the exhibition as an important way to spotlight local young designers while taking advantage of the millions of people who walk by Macy’s every day. “With this sidewalk exhibition, we were able to transform our world-famous windows into a runway,” he says.