There are many designers and artists in the world who create amazing works of art, but they are rarely ever functional. Andrea Sisson is the answer to that problem. Entering her fifth year at the University of Cincinnati’s DAAP program, Andrea is studying Fashion Design that fuses both creativity and functionality for the individual. Her Violin Suit, for example, was designed specifically for a violinist’s needs emotionally, functionally and physically, and has garnered a good deal of attention.—-
Andrea’s work is nothing short of amazing and innovative. With a Summer Co-op in Iceland and an upcoming line to be sold at Cincinnati’s Brush Factory, Sisson is a busy bee with a lot of aspiration. She’s even got her hands into a little bit of the fictional writing arena. Needless to say, you will more than likely be both seeing and hearing from this talented young designer in the near future.
CityBeat: Andrea, can you tell me where you are from originally and why you chose UC? What year are you in DAAP?
Andrea Sisson: I am from Cincinnati. Born and raised. I chose DAAP because of the amazing Co-op program and, I have to be honest, the in-state tuition for the fact that I pay for my own education. I am entering my fifth and final year at DAAP.
CB: When and what made you decide that fashion design was for you?
AS: I decided to major in fashion design after my last minute application and acception into the program. I always thought I was just an artist, but within my first year of foundations (first year of basic design classes at DAAP) I realized I was not an artist, but a designer. There is a difference.It has to do with an aspect of movement, space and problem solving that excites designers more than anything else. A designer is a designer, and that is what I mostly associate myself with. Fashion comes after that. Fashion comes after the function, shape and desire to create. Designing for the body is simply a problem to solve “in to”. There is something about the human body that I love to work with, but I also think it is more about the human “character” and also about the emotional need of that human. I love to fulfill and completely understand this “character” I design for. I really actually like to design “with” others and not just “for” others.
This article appears in Aug 5-11, 2009.