A "Watershed Moment for Wellness" across the pond provided multiple milestones for SCAD. At the Global Wellness Summit 2024, held Nov. 4-7 in St. Andrews, Scotland, two of the three finalists for the Shark Tank of Wellness Competition were new graduates from SCAD Atlanta. Sofía Sánchez (B.F.A., advertising, 2024) and Aimar Diaz Tatá (M.F.A., advertising, 2024) each presented projects that earned them top recognition and significant cash compensation.
 
SCAD advertising professor Gauri Misra-Deshpande guided the projects and led the trip. "I'm incredibly proud of how Sofía and Aimar represented SCAD at the Summit, and how the judges recognized their excellence," Misra-Deshpande says. "The most important aspect of their projects is wellness, which means empathy, innovation, design and storytelling, all coming together in a collaborative environment. They both learned and earned a lot from the experience."
 
Prior to the Summit, the advertising students prepared for their competition by honing their presentation skills with SCADamp coach Greg Skura. In Scotland, Sánchez and Diaz presented their business ideas to industry "Wellness Sharks" Mia Kyricos, founder of Kyricos & Associates LLC, business development director Karen Campbell of Chiva-Som International Health Resorts, and Agilysys SVP Frank Pitsikalis. Following rigorous Q&A sessions, the winners were announced: Sofía and Bond-sai won first place and $5000, while Aimar won $2000 for third place for Radical Truthical.
 
Bond-sai, inspired by the tree that gives it its name, is a sculptural and practical "emotional ecosystem" in the domain of smart wearables and mood lamps. The product was developed during Misra-Deshpande's ten-week class Collaborative Studio: Creating the Brand Solution (ADBR 480), where Sánchez was part of a seven-person student team that created a data-driven 92-page process book and brand video.

Lighten up: Global Wellness Shark Tank-winning student project, Bond-sai.

"Our team included multiple international students, all intensely familiar with the challenge of being in a new place, away from family, and trying to stay connected with those you love," explains Sánchez, a Guatemala City native who came to SCAD on a bowling scholarship. "Bond-sai offers an opportunity to show how you're feeling, visually, through colors, and to demonstrate how we're connected and help with mental health. It comes with a companion app where friends and family can see accurate readings of each other's stress levels through an Apple Watch or Fitbit. You can see the lights of your friends and family on the tree and know when they need a check-in."
 
Diaz's graduate thesis project, a card game called Radical Truthical, was inspired by classic games including Cards Against Humanity and Monopoly. "My game supports mental health by focusing on media literacy and how to learn discernment," says the Venezuela-born, Texas-raised Diaz, who attended SCAD on an educator scholarship. "I intentionally made Radical Truthical engaging for teens and young adults, and made sure the game isn't hyper-political, so while it covers political topics, there's pop culture too. With the over-consumption of social media, it's important to put your phone away and have a fun game that provides a low-stakes environment to have high-stakes conversations."

Facts: Aimar Diaz Tatá's award-winning game, Radical Truthical.

Both Sánchez and Diaz aim to take their products to market, encouraged by the enthusiasm they garnered at the Wellness Summit. They are grateful for that experience, and the "guiding light" of the mentor they call "Professor Gauri."
 
"Industry leaders were surprised and impressed when they learned that our student projects were completed in such a short time," says Misra-Deshpande. "This is our sixth year winning and it is safe to say that SCAD is a well-known name in the wellness community."

Sofía Sánchez would like to thank and include her Bond-sai student teammates ("It was a total team effort!"): Achal Agarwala, Annia Ortega Monegro, Harrison Steppe, Kriya Shah, Jack Selden, and Jenna Weisenbach.

Top (l-r): Sofía Sánchez, Professor Gauri Misra-Deshpande, Aimar Diaz Tatá. (Image courtesy: Global Wellness Summit.)

SCAD is proud to announce Kate Aronowitz (B.A., graphic design, 1997), GV (Google Ventures) Lead Operations Partner, has been named Executive in Residence at the university. Aronowitz will mentor students from the university's top ranked De Sole School of Business Innovation, School of Design, and School of Foundation Studies.

In her new role, Aronowitz will travel to all three SCAD locations — including Savannah and Atlanta, Ga., and Lacoste, France — to visit classes, review portfolios, and offer mentorship to talented SCAD students. She will provide her unique vision and expertise in collaborations with academic leaders to review portfolios and develop new curriculum design processes for the SCAD De Sole School of Business Innovation, School of Design, and School of Foundation Studies, furthering the university's recognition as the global leader for art, design, and innovation in higher education. Aronowitz's presence emphasizes SCAD's commitment as the preeminent source of knowledge in the disciplines of graphic design, industrial design, advertising, social strategy, design management, creative business leadership, and service design, among others.

"We are thrilled to welcome Kate Aronowitz as Executive in Residence for our Schools of Design, Business Innovation, and Foundation Studies," said SCAD Chief Academic Officer Jason Fox. "Kate's longstanding commitment to serving her alma mater as a professional and alumni mentor is amplified by this new role. Her wealth of experience at companies like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Wealthfront, as well as her current role as GV's Lead Operations Partner will provide invaluable insights to our talented SCAD students, faculty, and staff, furthering the SCAD mission to prepare talented students for creative professions. We are proud of Kate, and this appointment as Executive in Residence, which underscores SCAD's commitment to nurturing the next generation of dreamers, makers, and industry leaders."

Aronowitz is a seasoned design executive who has built and led world-class design teams at several iconic Silicon Valley companies. She began her career at eBay, where she joined the first user experience team and became a Senior Manager of User Experience and Design. She joined LinkedIn as Director of Design and started its user research team, and at Facebook (now Meta), she was the company's first design executive. In her current role at GV, she leverages her extensive experience to empower portfolio companies, advocating for incorporating design thinking into high-level business strategies.

"SCAD gave me the foundation I needed many years ago to launch my design career, and ever since, the university has remained committed to doing the same for generations of designers," said Aronowitz. "I'm thrilled to return as an Executive in Residence, eager to spend time in the classroom offering industry perspective and mentorship to students, while collaborating with faculty on the future of design education—spanning from graphic design and user experience to the evolving impact of artificial intelligence. With more opportunities than ever for design to shape the world, I believe SCAD is truly at the heart of it all!"

Aronowitz has been an influential leader at SCAD, participating in the inaugural SCAD AI Summit earlier this year, sharing her insights on the AI literacy expected from emerging designers and the exploration of AI's impact on the design world. She served as co-chair of the Fortune Brainstorm Design conference and has been recognized as one of the most influential designers by notable publications Fast Company and Ad Age.

For more information, visit scad.edu.

"No dream is too big," said Sabrina Spanta (B.F.A., fashion, 2016) from the stage of Trustees Theater. "You're only one step away."
 
The Afghani-American fashion designer was speaking from the heart, and from experience. On Thursday afternoon, she appeared alongside director Leslie Merlin (B.F.A., film and television, 2005) following a screening of "One Step Away." The powerful, 12-minute documentary focuses on the designer's courageous journey, depicting her early childhood in Afghanistan, her emigration to the United States as a nine-year old, her life growing up with adoptive parents in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, her time at SCAD studying fashion design, and her experinece competing on the top-rated Bravo TV show "Project Runway."
 
"I have so many girls in Kandahar looking up to me," Spanta says in the film. "If I could save two more lives, then this is the time."
 
Those two lives wound up being her younger sisters, who were living in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. Spanta wrote a letter to President Wallace asking for help. Wallace responded within an hour, which began what Spanta called "a two-year mission working with SCAD, in between almost losing hope." The effort's ultimate success means Spanta reunited with her sisters — both of whom are currently studying architecture at SCAD Atlanta.
 
The film highlights the transformative power of art. It also sends up a flare of hope for a future where women are free from persecution. Following its Oct. 31 premiere during the SCAD Savannah Film Festival, Spanta and Merlin appeared together on-stage.
 
I will never forget coming to the USA," Spanta said. "There were so many shocking first moments, most notably seeing my adoptive mom wearing pants, instead of a dress, and driving a car." That moment inspired Spanta's senior collection at SCAD, refashioning and refitting traditional Afghani menswear into trend-setting womenswear, including the creation of her signature X-Pant. 
 
The Q&A allowed Spanta to speak on how the documentary came to be. "When my sisters came, I met with President Wallace and the girls in her office. We were talking about just being able to tell the story, there are so many people out there who need to be inspired. That led to me getting an email from Leslie [Mann, filmmaker] that said, ‘I'd love to meet.'"
 
Mann: "I'd read about her and her siblings and was interested in the telling the story. We jumped on a phone call to see if she'd be interested in doing the documentary project. She was, and thanks to our producer and writer Keri Brooks, we were able to accomplish this story together."
 
"One Step Away" was followed by a screening of "Champions of the Golden Valley," director Ben Sturgulewski's feature documentary about the raw, passionate, and inclusive competitive skiing scene in Bamyan, Afghanistan — and what happened when the Taliban again came to power.

Watch "One Step Away" on Film Freeway.

The SCAD Savannah Film Festival continues through Sat., Nov. 2.

"We're as unknown to ourselves as the bottom of the sea," says the singular French artist Jean Cocteau near the beginning of Lisa Immordino Vreeland’s stunning new documentary Jean Cocteau. The doc — which screened Monday during SCAD Savannah Film Festival — dives deep into Cocteau’s life and films including The Blood of a Poet (1932), Beauty and the Beast (1946), and Orpheus (1950), surfacing with a gem worthy of its subject.
 
Immordino Vreeland frames the documentary with footage from 1960 of Cocteau addressing the young people of the future in what he imagines is the year 2000. He praises the humanity of these future youngsters, and encourages them to be serious, to work, and not to grow cynical. His words ring out an inspiring note that is deeply earned — especially considering the sorrows of Cocteau’s life.
 
After the film, SCAD dramatic writing professor Chris Auer welcomed Immordino Vreeland to the SCAD MOA stage and an ecstatic ovation. Auer prompted the filmmaker with an observation: "Cocteau was born in the 1800s, did the majority of his work in the 20th century, and in that film that he made at the end of his life, he’s addressing young people in the 21st century. So, really, he spanned three centuries."
 
"He’s a complex human being," Vreeland said. "This incredible interview where you see the tapestry behind him at Villa Santo Sospir, that was something he did that was televised that I found in the National Film Archive in Paris. It was like Cocteau never stopped speaking, like he never took a breath of air."
 
Folding in his sublime illustrations alongside historic footage of the artist and his contemporaries, Jean Cocteau is itself a work of art. The narrative backbone comes from voiceover by actor Josh O’Connor (Challengers, The Crown) reading from Cocteau’s journals and letters to his mother. Immordino Vreeland spoke highly of O'Connor and her tight team of collaborators, including editor and producer John Northrup, musical composer Claire Cowan, and cinematographer Shane Sigler, with whom she filmed additional 16mm color footage at the villa with a Bolex camera to blend with historic footage.
 
"I worked very closely with the Comité Jean Cocteau," Immordino Vreeland said. "They knew [this documentary] wouldn’t be a pedantic film, it would have this abstract quality to it, which is what we wanted. We wanted it to feel like it was in a dreamy Cocteau-land, so you float into this world. We talk about the things that defined him, we put in the Ballets Russes and Diaghilev, to get a cross-section of his creative process. Really, making this film was about peeling it back and making it simpler and simpler."
 
"I always try to entertain people," acknowledged Immordino Vreeland. "But in this film you don’t laugh, because I felt there was a really important message to tell the youth of today, and I’m following Cocteau’s prompt here, which is to be awake, be alert, and to plant a new seed."

Lisa Immordino Vreeland and Chris Auer discuss Jean Cocteau at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival 2024.

The revolution wears overalls. Specifically, the LIVSN x Gnara Ecotrek women's overalls with patented GoFly zipper technology for "easy trailside relief," as modeled in plum truffle by Abby Hollis (B.F.A., fibers, 2020) and featured in WGSN's trend forecast on inclusive design.
 
"As a small brand, we don't always have the same levers that big brands can pull in the supply chain or in end-of-product-life logistics," explains Hollis, LIVSN's director of product and sustainability. "What we can do is prioritize making the best products possible and designing those products so they have both physical and emotional durability."

Ecotrek Overalls: as nature intended. 

The idea that fashionable outdoor clothing should be ethical is a core tenet at LIVSN. That proved crucial when founder and CEO Andrew Gibbs-Dabney recruited Hollis to come aboard full-time in 2023. Today, the Northwest Arkansas native applies her own consumer skepticism and years working at the loom to the company ethos: "LIVSN creates versatile, well-made clothing for people who value experiences more than stuff."
 
"On the scale that we're planning to grow, I want us to put our money where our mouth is," Hollis says. "That means investing in software to help with impact tracking, and pursuing B Corp certification, which binds us to our mission to create products and systems that maximize function and minimize harm. We're thrilled to be making those initial investments and we plan to grow our efforts moving forward."
 
SCAD design for sustainability professor Scott Boylston is rightly proud of his former student. "Abby exemplifies the revolutionary sustainability professional," Boylston says. "She asks probing questions that help her teams see project potentials in new ways, and she brings her full and passionate self to every endeavor, inspiring those around her. She does all this with a joyful attitude, even in the most challenging of situations."
 
Combining compliance with pushing boundaries is one challenge. As Hollis points out: "A sustainability team typically makes rules for designers to follow. The way fibers and sustainability were taught to me at SCAD allowed me the space to exist in both those rooms, and that's really valuable."
 
In addition to LIVSN life, Abby serves as a devoted co-founder of the nonprofit Ozark Fibershed and a board member at Ozark Folkways. She leads the annual Ozark Folkways Fiber Camp, which was hosted at Folk School in Fayetteville this year. "At camp we have a great mix of home-schooled farm kids, artsy public-school kids and more, and they all have really interesting conversations together. I think camp is my favorite week of the year — it really makes me the designer and strategist that I am."
 
While Abby is a generous conversationalist, it's a beautiful day in Bentonville, and time for her to pull on her overalls and get outdoors. "It all comes down to making good products that aren't designed to go out of style," she emphasizes. "That seems like it shouldn't be revolutionary, but it is."

Abby rocks the LIVSN Forager Jacket.

Product photos courtesy LIVSN. 

Banner photo of Abby Hollis by Lillie Haddock.

Architectural historians use annual conferences as opportunities to showcase and see new research, scholarship, and analytical approaches, and to hone public speaking skills. These gatherings are also great opportunities to connect with colleagues from across the country, to learn about host cities through tours and presentations, and for students and recent graduates to network for internships and jobs.

A unique regional conference is the annual meeting of the Southeast Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians (known as "SESAH" and pronounced see-saw), which attracts architectural historians, historic preservationists, social historians, architects, and independent scholars. This year's meeting, held in Marietta, Georgia from October 2-5, saw SCAD's best-ever showing, with a total of nine presentations by faculty, students and alumni — the largest representation from any institution. Additionally, architectural history chair Robin Williams served as a panelist at the opening plenary panel discussion featuring representatives of the three major architecture programs in Georgia: SCAD, Georgia Tech and Kennesaw State University.

"I am proud of an exemplary presence by SCAD at this year's SESAH conference," said Dr. Williams. "Our students displayed the fruits of the School of Building Arts' ‘Peer Practice Session' conference presentation rehearsals, which provided valuable feedback from faculty, SCADamp coaches, and their peers. The results were elevated and impressive."

Graduate students Anna Jose (M.F.A., architectural history), Emi Higashiyama (M.F.A., architectural history), and Elizaveta Kavunets (M.A., art history) illustrated the breadth of interests with presentations on the overlooked works of American architect William Parsons in the Philippines, the lost and surviving opera houses in Georgia and their surprising multi-functionality, and the fantasy paper architecture drawings of Alexander Brodsky and Ilya Utkin in 1980s Russia, respectively. Architectural history undergraduate Hannah Dinning analyzed the emergence of playground spaces in the early 20th century and their role in shaping children. Architectural history professor Kelly Ritter discussed representations of slums in Shanghai in mid-20th-century popular media. Chair Williams presented on how Savannah's downtown urban plan shaped and tamed the impact of automobile infrastructure in the 20th century.

Three alumni also presented papers: Mike Walker (B.F.A. architectural history, 2016), Glen Umberger (M.F.A. architectural history, 2015), and Elizabeth Clappin (M.F.A. architectural history, 2016). Ruben Acosta (M.F.A. architectural history, 2010) completed his term on the SESAH Board of Directors as the Florida representative. Alumnae Alesha Cerny (M.A. architectural history, 2011) and Bethany Laskin (M.F.A. architectural history, 2024), and SCAD Atlanta architectural history professor Daniel Williamson also attended.

Each year SESAH awards a pair of travel grants to graduate students to support their participation in the conference. Among the eleven students applying, architectural history graduate student Emi Higashiyama received the highest score from the award committee, which selected her for the Elisabeth Flynn-Chapman Student Travel Grant.

"Receiving a travel grant frees me up from economic demands and allows me to forge connections that are so necessary for building a new career," Higashiyama said. "As a non-traditional international student, attending a conference with such a gregarious group of experts is the highlight of my time as a graduate student in architectural history. I can't wait till SESAH is in Savannah in 2026!"

Congratulations to everyone involved in a highly successful SESAH 2024, and special thanks to SCAD's Institutional Recognition office and SCAD's School of Building Arts for offering important support covering student travel costs. 

SCAD at SESAH 2024: Mike Walker; Professor Kelly Ritter; Emi Higashiyama; Anna Jose; Ruben Acosta; Hannah Dinning; Elizabeth Clappin; Bethany Laskin; Alesha Cerny; Glen Umberger; Chair Robin Williams; Professor Daniel Williamson. (Not pictured: Elizaveta Kavunets.)

The cactus prays for rain. In a parched landscape, with only a cow skull for company, this sombrero-wearing gaucho — actually an anthropomorphic, pink-tufted saguaro known as Prickly Pete — is in big trouble. And trouble, it turns out, has a name: Loogie Lou.
 
This is the colorful, campy set-up of "Dry Dry Desert," the frankly fabulous, self-published, 16-page comic book by Anthony Barbara (B.F.A., sequential art, 2022). Embracing influences including Looney Tunes, El Tigre, Fallout: New Vegas, and his own childhood trips to the American southwest, Barbara has delivered a new modern hero in steadfast and stylish Prickly Pete.
 
"I've always liked succulents," says Barbara of his cactus protagonist. "They're super resilient plants able to survive in extremely harsh climates. And they're also a little bit dangerous."

Spiky specialist: Anthony Barbara's comic book cover.

Pete's origin story is inextricable from Anthony's own. A native of Babylon, Long Island, Barbara came to SCAD as a budding cinephile, preceded by his encouraging cousin Greg Spessot (M.F.A. themed entertaiment design, 2022; B.F.A. production design, 2018). After taking FILM 100, Anthony searched for and found his ideal major: "Sequential art has the same storytelling aspects that I was looking for in filmmaking, combined with my love of illustration and character design."
 
These qualities are in abundance in "Dry Dry Desert," as Sergio Leone-worthy tension leads to Pete's showdown with Loogie Lou. "I beat out the story in a sketchbook, then go straight into thumbnailing to get a good foundation for the composition and page flow," explains Anthony of his process. "Once I feel satisfied, I scan and print out the thumbnails at low opacity on larger paper, like an under-drawing for me to fill out the more refined details in pencil and ink."

Cactus catch can: a page from Prickly Pete.

 
Toy fans will be pleased that the Prickly Pete universe is not confined to the page. Barbara has created articulated action figures of his masked luchador "Saguaro Sol." Those eight-inch-tall toys have their own hand-made origins in SCAD's sequential art program.
 
"I took Conceptual Maquette Design [SEQA 326] and 3D Action Figures Design [SEQA 436], both taught by John Larison. Those courses were extremely valuable for the sculpting techniques I learned, and working in 3D went on to inform my illustration and give me a firmer understanding of what I was putting on the page. I realized that by making a maquette, I became a better draftsman."
 
Larison, affectionately known as "The Resin Rogue," has taught at SCAD for 25 years, helping develop the sequential art curriculum along with associated minors including design for 3D action figures.
 
"As a student Anthony was serious yet fun, driven and inquisitive," Larison (M.F.A. sequential art, 1998) says. "He always had a ready smile, willing to take part in any group task, unafraid to get his hands dirty whether printmaking, sculpting or creating comics. Anthony exemplifies what it means to be a sequential major, and he is now one of our most helpful alumni and peers. He means a lot to our department and our community."
 
As SCAD grows, the local landscape has proved fertile ground for young comics artists. Barbara has continued living in Savannah after graduation, and in January he was artist-in-residence at the emporium known as Neighborhood Comics. "Selling my work directly to people and seeing them enjoy it is so rewarding," Anthony says.
 
This Saturday, Oct. 19, Barbara will appear at SAVage FST, a comics and zines event in Savannah. It's a great opportunity to pick up the new issue of Prickly Pete, peruse hand-hewn action figures, and chat with the creator about his love of Tex Williams and 1950s western swing music. As Pete's papa promises: "There is more to come!"

See more of Anthony's work at his online home.

"Over the last 12 months, SCAD Bees have achieved what students elsewhere could only dream of: designing and building not one but two electric vehicles — the Aether, a convertible sports car, and the Tyr, an off-roader overland SUV," announced President Paula Wallace, during a momentous unveiling this week.

Students within SCAD's award-winning industrial design program have created these fully functioning electric vehicle concept cars. Each car puts the guest in the driver's seat of their own experience, with functional designs for cruising down coastal highways and navigating challenging off-road terrain—meant to engage and encourage the next generation of driving public.

The project's focus was on curating an experience for Gen Z, a demographic that views driving differently than previous generations. Initial research found 75% of Gen Z do not look forward to getting their driver's license. SCAD students set out to change this perception.

"These new electric vehicle concepts answer an essential question for the automotive industry as more and more young people are choosing not to drive at all, using rideshare and public transportation instead, and SCAD's Aether and Tyr reverse that shift in spectacular ways — because we do our research!" President Wallace remarked. "Our two SCAD EVs present the future of driving for all drivers, with commercial appeal. And they're gorgeous!"

"SCAD's industrial design program creates hands-on learning experiences that no other university does, and the building of these electric vehicles is a prime example," said professor of industrial design Rafael Corazza Ronchetti. "This is an incredible opportunity for our students to enhance their career readiness by designing and building a fully functional car."

The project emphasized pooling innovative student talent from across the university's top-ranked degree programs, including interior design, fibers, motion media design, graphic design, user experience (UX) design, and interactive design and game development. The various builds and elements of each vehicle reflect the disciplines involved, as well as the creative ingenuity of the SCAD students who brought these vehicles from concept to completion.

The Aether electric vehicle, developed in Savannah, proposes a new design language that appeals to the Gen Z demographic while paying homage to influential cars of the past, including the Ferrari 312 F1 and the Porsche 917. The vehicle's racing aesthetic includes an open top and an AI companion that curates music based on driving style. Aether was entirely printed with innovative 3D technology that incorporates acrylic gel photocured with UV lights. This technology was a key element to the success of developing the car in record time.

Wheel genius: Tyr, ready to roll.

Tyr, the electric vehicle created in Atlanta, evokes the narratives and causes crucial to Gen Z. Environmentally-minded students created a car centered on sustainability and used intentional colors, designs, and relevant features to empower the driver's personal journey. In a recent SCADask survey of Gen Z respondents,  fuel efficiency, environmental impact, and technology features were all listed as top transportation priorities.

"We built the Tyr electric vehicle to have a platform that will grow with the user, one that goes from the street to an off-road terrain environment," SCAD Atlanta associate chair of design Owen Foster said. "By prioritizing autonomy, ecological responsibility, and cutting- edge technology, the Tyr becomes an extension of the driver's home, offering safety, reliability, and an unparalleled driving experience with sustainable interiors, a large acrylic screen, adjustable seating, and small truck bed."

Throughout the development process, students worked alongside faculty and industry mentors to learn specialized skills that were essential to building successful and fully functioning electric vehicles. The emphasis SCAD places on application over theory is unlike any other industrial design program. "SCAD students engaged pros in the automotive industry, as well as others in fashion, luxury marketing, and ‘fringe tech' such as controlling a car with eye tracking and hand gestures," President Wallace observed. "We transform SCAD students into pros by compelling them to create real products for real clients and within the constraints of real time, modeling professional practice."

Electric youth: the powered-up Aether. 

Visit scad.edu/evcars.

SCAD proudly presents Sandy Powell's Dressing the Part: Costume Design for Film, the debut U.S. exhibition by esteemed British costume designer Sandy Powell, opening Oct. 11 at SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film in Atlanta. Altogether, costume drama has never looked so good.
 
Curated by Rafael Gomes, creative director of SCAD FASH museums, the exhibition displays a stunning swathe of genres, periods, and realities. Showcasing Powell's inventive and dynamic work for films including Shakespeare in Love, The Favourite, Cinderella, The Wolf of Wall Street, and How to Talk to Girls at Parties, the exhibition welcomes cinephiles and costume lovers from around the world to Atlanta to witness the Academy Award winner's worldbuilding legacy.
 
"With 15 Academy Award nominations and three wins to her name, designer Sandy Powell has masterfully costumed iconic films beloved by generations," said SCAD President Paula Wallace. "Sandy is no stranger to SCAD — we have honored her at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival, and I've welcomed her as a guest on my series On Creativity. Now, we bring our friendship full circle with Sandy Powell's Dressing the Part: Costume Design for Film. As home to the only museum whose mission focuses exclusively on both fashion and film, SCAD provides the perfect set for her award-winning oeuvre in her first U.S. exhibition!"
 
Powell, recipient of the BAFTA Fellowship, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts' highest honor, is a formidable force in filmmaking. Her career-long partnerships with directors Martin Scorsese, Todd Haynes, Neil Jordan, and Derek Jarman and actors Cate Blanchett, Leonardo DiCaprio, Julianne Moore, and Tilda Swinton have contributed to the creation of iconic film characters. In vignettes featuring more than 125 costumes from films such as Gangs of New York, Carol, Interview with a Vampire, The Young Victoria, The Aviator, The Other Boleyn Girl, Mary Poppins Returns, and Velvet Goldmine, SCAD FASH immerses viewers in Powell's nearly 40-year career.
 
"I am very excited that SCAD FASH has given me the opportunity to exhibit my first ever retrospective in the university's amazing museum in Atlanta," Powell said. "I hope that the carefully curated collection will serve to inspire students and aspiring costume designers just as I have been inspired by the ingenuity and creativity of the designers I have admired throughout my career."
 
The exhibition also presents a new, SCAD-produced documentary on Powell, highlighting how her spirit enriches her craft and proves essential to actors and directors. The film features interviews with her long-time technicians and collaborators, including Blanchett and Moore, providing an authentic look at Powell's creative process and her garments.
 
Sandy Powell's Dressing the Part: Costume Design for Film exemplifies SCAD's continued commitment to the art of costume design. The university is proud to now offer its top-ranked production design and costume design degree programs in the prestigious SCAD School of Film and Acting at SCAD Atlanta.
 
SCAD FASH creative director Gomes remarked: "Sandy Powell is one of the greatest artisans working in film. Her devotion to costume history, coupled with her visionary approach, has elevated some of the most unforgettable films over the past three decades. We are excited to be the first museum in the U.S. to present an exhibition of her work, and for the rich educational and cultural opportunity Dressing the Part presents to our students and everyone who visits the museum."

Witness Dressing the Part at SCAD FASH. 

Human-centered design is on the move! Esteemed alum Simran Monga (M.F.A., design for sustainability, 2024) has joined Catapult Design this fall on a six-month fellowship, the newest beneficiary of an ongoing partnership between Catapult Design and SCAD. The alliance helps young SCAD graduates apply design as a tool for transformative change by providing them with the opportunity to work with Catapult's experienced changemakers .
 
"I am thrilled to receive the opportunity to contribute to the impact-driven organization that is Catapult Design," Monga said. "My experience at SCAD in the design for sustainability program was transformative, equipping me with valuable insights in systems thinking and social innovation. I see this fellowship as a chance to grow, learn something new every day, and connect with the inspiring network of global partners and clients that Catapult brings together."
 
"We are excited to welcome Simran as our new fellow at Catapult Design, and I am delighted to continue this partnership between SCAD students and Catapult designers," said Catapult Design CEO Angela Hariche. "I look forward to the innovative solutions that will be discovered with Simran bringing her skills and energy to the team. Welcome, Simran!"
 
Monga, an Indigo Design Award winner and recipient of the SCAD Design for Sustainability Endowed Scholarship, presented her master's thesis "Lights, Camera, Climate Action" in spring 2024. In August, she was named India's Best Design Student 2024.
 
"Growing up in a family deeply rooted in cultural values, I learned the importance of 'sewa' (selfless service) to our community and 'jugaad' (innovating with limited resources) in shaping the essence of life," Monga said. "These values have informed my personal and professional journey and resonate deeply with Catapult's mission to uplift underserved populations through innovative design."
 
Monga expressed gratitude to the faculty at SCAD, including professors Scott Boylston and Saty Sharma, and service design chair Kwela Hermanns, for proving the confidence and skills to explore this exciting opportunity. "At SCAD, I was able to find the deep intersection between visual communication, design research, and sustainability, all aimed at uplifting communities and the environment. At Catapult, I look forward to contributing to incredible human-centered design and research projects focused on gender equality and global healthcare."
 
Design for sustainability professor Boylston returned the compliment: "We are thrilled to see Simran accepted as this year's Catapult Fellow. Our program is fortunate to mentor a diverse group of talented designers who are committed to driving positive change in the world, and even among this group, Simran excelled throughout her two years with us. It continues to be an honor to align directly with Catapult Design, an organization we have long admired."
 
The efficacy of the partnership is reflected by the fact that inaugural Catapult Fellow Haleemah Sadiah (M.F.A., design for sustainability, 2021) is currently a senior designer at Catapult.

Embracing this positive continuity, CEO Hariche said: "As we welcome Simran to the Catapult Design team, we look forward to working alongside her and with future graduates of the SCAD design for sustainability program."

Connect with Simran Monga!