2018 Designer Profiles: Mia Fierberg
Every year, the MODA Fashion Show wraps up winter quarter with the perfect homage to student talent, hard work and creativity. In anticipation of this year's show, we have interviewed some of the designers involved. Meet Mia Fierberg, a 4th year Global Studies and French Lit major who is also the Design Director of the DBC (Design Boot Camp) program for this year!
What are some sources of inspiration for your collection this year?
This year I’m obsessed with silhouette. I love oversized, boxy, sculptural, or baggy womenswear because it feels defiant. If you’ve ever watched Project Runway you’ll hear Heidi Klum give critiques like ‘I liked the oversized/drop crotch/modest garment but I wish I could see some leg/chest/back with it, something a little sexy to balance.' I used to think about fashion like that too, but the more I think about it, the more I’m sure that it’s an unhealthy logic.
“I really dig oversized and boxy silhouettes because they intentionally throw those rules out the window. They reject convention and are still gorgeous, still interesting, still artistic. They just counteract stupid sexist expectations of bodies.”
If someone wants to be sexy by showing their figure or showing skin I think that’s awesome, but nobody said that sexiness is defined by that, and more importantly nobody should be expecting women and femmes to be making their body sexy or ‘balanced’ as a rule. I really dig oversized and boxy silhouettes because they intentionally throw those rules out the window. They reject convention and are still gorgeous, still interesting, still artistic. They just counteract stupid sexist expectations of bodies.
Have you ever done fashion design work before? What are the most challenging and/or rewarding aspects of it?
Mia in Paris!
This is my third year designing for the MODA show! I did DBC my second year and got hooked. Sometimes friends ask me if my sewing is still getting better after all that time and I always tell them that literally every new thing that I make is better than the last! Sewing is so challenging and demanding, but seeing myself improve after three years on literally a daily basis is the most gratifying thing in the world. I’m definitely hooked.
What are you lookin forward to most about the show?
It’s my last year designing for the show so this one is really sentimental for me. It’s basically my graduation from MODA’s design program, and comes with a lot of the pride and nostalgia that every graduation brings. I’m so excited about everyone’s work this year, so seeing my final college collection walking next to all of these other amazing talents is just going to be really really special.
What are some of the challenges (and some of the exciting parts!) of being the DBC Design Director?
I could write a novel to answer this question. Running DBC this year confronted me with a lot of bureaucratic, administrative, and logistical challenges that I never could have anticipated, but in this way it also made me so intensely appreciative of the of the programs and people that dedicate their time to shaping a platform for creativity and engagement with the arts. DBC and I aren’t the only people in the mix: the whole MODA Board, and the people who support MODA as an organization deserve recognition for the tons and tons of behind-the-scenes work that goes into giving my art a spotlight for the evening. Being behind the scenes in my role as Design Director has really made me aware and appreciate of this support system.
Of course, it goes without saying that the DBC designers themselves have made me so so proud. Their work is a testament to the wonderful opportunities that DBC as a program can provide, but even more than that, it’s proof of their amazing artistry.
I’m biased but I think that DBC is the coolest thing ever and one of the most unique opportunities at this University. I hope that in the future we’ll have the resources to expand the program and make it accessible to all of the amazing talent that applies every year!
