Kimbery Ring modeled her own dress for her portfolio. She designed this dress during her senior year in high school.
Kimberly Ring designed this dress and chair using her own triangle pattern freshman year at N.C. State, and had a fellow student model the dress for a quick photo. This designed earned her first place in beginner’s apparel and textiles in the Cotton First Design Competition and Exhibition in 2012.
Looking forward to her sophomore year at N.C. State University, Kimberly Ring, a graduate of Ashe County High School, looks to continue to leave her mark on the fashion world in Raleigh.
Despite being a freshman in N.C. State’s fashion and textile design program, Ring earned several achievements during the 2012-2013 school year.
“There were a lot of all-nighters last year, but it was worth it,” said Ring about her work.
Most notably, Ring, along with fellow student Ford Bowden, were pitted against professional designers in the Redress Raleigh fashion show, and submitted one of 11 featured collections in the show. Ring and her partner were the only students who were featured in the show, the rest were collections designed by professionals.
“It was a giant honor to be featured in the show,” said Ring.
During the Redress Raleigh fashion show, Ring had the opportunity to meet industry leaders. The items submitted by Ring and her partner were also “Eco-friendly,” meaning they used natural fabrics and dyes instead of synthetic materials.
Ring said she has now incorporated Eco-friendly designing into her fashion style, along with using sophisticated patterns and functional designs.
Ring her family moved to Ashe County from Orlando when she was 5-years-old, and Ring said she considers herself an “Ashe County girl.”
Ring said she has always been artistic, ever since the first time she started drawing. Ring took different art classes throughout her school career, but it wasn’t until she made her first dress junior year that she discovered her true passion.
Her first dress would be her attire for her junior prom. At the time, Ring had never sewn her own dress, let alone thought about fashion as a career.
“It’s funny, junior year I just said to myself, ‘I’m going to make my own prom dress,’ and I did,” said Ring.
Ring completed her first dress in 2011 using her grandmother’s vintage sewing machine, and did so with no experience and no patterned fabric to work with.
Afterword, Ring continued to design dresses to use for her portfolio upon entry into N.C. State’s fashion and textile design program. She also made her own dress for her senior prom.
Along with being featured in the Redress Raleigh show, Ring was also a featured designer for Raleigh Fashion Worx and for NCSU Fashion Week.
She was one of nine grand prize winners in Cotton’s 24-Hour Runway Design Contest in March, and had her work featured on a runway in South Beach, Miami on March 3. Also, Ring, along with other group members, were runners-up in the Glen Raven Marine Design Challenge in 2012, when Ring and her team designed the concept art for a yacht.
Also, Ring took first place in the Beginner’s Apparel Collection and in textiles (a collaboration) during the Cotton First Design Competition and Exhibition in 2012.
Ring said her parents are, “of course,” very proud of her work. So is her twin sister who also attends N.C. State. Ring said her sister’s presence has made the transition from small town to Raleigh much easier.
As for what the future holds, Ring said she wants to continue working in fashion design, but doesn’t know where.
“I’m trying to keep an open mind about where I’ll go,” said Ring. She said she enjoyed spending time in New York City during a visit earlier this year, but said she also enjoys Raleigh.
In the spring semester of her junior year, Ring plans to study abroad in either Italy, France or Prague, and will have a better sense of where her career will take her as she moves closer to graduation.
No matter where she ends up though, Ring said she will always consider Ashe County home.
Post a Comment
