WAKE How do UMPRUM students perceive dress code? The unconventional WAKE exhibition at Milano Design Week

The Academy of Arts, Architecture, and Design in Prague will present a project called WAKE at Milano Design Week 2024, where students from the Studio of Fashion and Footwear Design and the Studio of Product Design jointly reflect on the contemporary role of formal wear and the rules associated with it. The ambassador of the unmissable presentation at Villa Bagatti Valsecchi is Alena Šeredová.

The WAKE installation is based on the semester assignment of the Studio of Fashion and Footwear Design, which was Red Carpet. Under the guidance of Simona Rybáková, the students creatively reassessed the current state of formal dress code, which, although it functions as a recommendation, is often perceived as a law and an obligation. To gain a comprehensive view of the whole issue, they worked with a number of external lecturers. They explored the interconnectedness of the dress code with social norms, cultural changes, and individual creative expressions. They also brought into their models the need for sustainability – recycling-upcycling, zero waste, social design, processing of natural biodegradable materials, and maintaining traditional craft techniques.

Designer: Hana Valtová Image: Viktorie Macánová

Designer: Hana Valtova Image:Viktorie Macánová

Designer: Valerie Vrbová Image: Samuel Petráš

Designer: Valerie Vrbová Image: Samuel Petráš

About the Academy of Arts, Architecture & Design in Prague

The basic principle of teaching is the individual approach of teachers to students. The goal is to detect talents and help them develop their creative abilities with regard to the original independent thinking of the students, with an emphasis on social values and responsibility toward the environment. Currently, there are around 500 students in 24 studios at UMPRUM. Twice a year the school opens to public with “Artsemestr“ presentation of students´ work. It organises more than 15 exhibitions every year, half of them abroad. The Prague UMPRUM, as the only school of former post-communist countries, features in the indexes of prestigious European and world art schools.