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    CCAD Fashion Show Emcee to Debut One-of-a-kind Design

    The emcee for the 2021 CCAD Fashion Show drive-in experience on May 14 will be Amber Knicole, lead singer of the neo-funk band MojoFlo. Her outfit for the evening has been created by CCAD fashion design student Ryder Teach, whose collection, Angel Energy, The Collection, will be featured in the show as well.

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    “I am ecstatic to be a part of this year’s CCAD Fashion Show!” Amber Knicole said. “I am most excited for my one-of-a-kind Ryder Teach creation!”

    While Amber Knicole did not grow up in Columbus, she has called it home since settling here to attend Capital University. After graduating, she joined MojoFlo as their lead singer. The band’s first official photoshoot was done by a CCAD alumna, and their first music video was filmed under the ART sign on campus.

    Teach was honored when Suzanne Cotton, Professor and Chair of Fashion Design, approached him about designing the emcee’s outfit.

    “Right away I knew I wanted to create something that would make her shine on stage,” Teach said.

    The three had a Zoom meeting to discuss the design and Amber Knicole gave Teach her full blessing to create an outfit he would be proud of.

    “I let him know what I liked about my body and that I liked clothing to be dramatic and have movement,” she said, “But I also wanted him to have his vision and to create something without too much input from me.”

    Teach’s collection in the show has lots of shine and jewels, and Amber Knicole’s outfit will have a similar aesthetic. The songstress described her own style as loving sparkles and shine and tutus, which fit well with Teach’s own design style. The outfit features a short hem and cool neckline to fit Amber Knicole’s fashion preference to ensure she feels confident while in the outfit.

    The initial sketch Teach created featured a shiny black fabric with a bedazzled belt. Although the basic concept and silhouette haven’t changed, Teach and Cotton opted for a shimmery fabric and a cinched belt with tule flowing from it. Amber Knicole has loved watching the garment come to life, from Teach’s initial sketch to the measurements and fittings to the final product.

    “I have a lot of admiration and respect for him,” she said.

    Teach grew up in Urbana, OH, and took advanced art classes in high school.

    “I always had an artistic and creative personality,” he said, “But I never knew how to channel that into a career.”

    When one of his friends enrolled in CCAD to study fashion, his own dream career path began to develop. He started sketching designs, and when he was accepted to CCAD he knew his dream was becoming a reality.

    “My goal was to live in Columbus, go to CCAD, and get a job at Abercrombie,” he said.

    Teach is excited to see his hard work come to fruition, and he has accepted a position at Abercrombie as an assistant apparel designer.

    “I’ve found a new level of confidence within myself during my senior year. The global pandemic has brought to surface an entirely new version of me,” Teach said. “We have all faced heavy challenges and struggles lately, but I have pushed to keep up motivation and creativity within designing…for me, that is a huge success.”

    For more information, visit ccadfashionshow.com.

    Photos and sketch provided by Ryder Teach

    Columbus Underground is the media sponsor for the 2021 CCAD Fashion Show

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    Randi Walle
    Randi Wallehttp://randimwalle.com
    Randi is a freelance contributor to Columbus Underground, writing mainly articles for Shop Talk. She studied photography at Columbus State and enjoys utilizing both journalism and photography to tell the stories of people in the community.
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