A group of students from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) Hong Kong created a fashion streetwear collection for the pop culture icon Mickey Mouse’s 90th anniversary. We find out more about this exciting project.
A new look for Mickey
The internationally renowned art and design university collaborated with The Walt Disney Company on this unique sponsored project, with the aim of fostering emerging local talent and encouraging creative careers. The students – from disciplines including fashion, graphic design and illustration – took part in a 10-week custom course, facilitated by SCADpro. (A university programme where students work with industry partners for real-world experience and create imaginative design solutions.) Twenty-seven SCAD students researched, designed, produced and presented sixteen looks focused on Mickey’s journey through time (“Past, Present and Future”), and reflected on the global significance of streetwear – currently the fastest growing category in the fashion industry.
The budding artists joined forces with key members of the Disney team and SCAD faculty to create a unique personification of their muse, Mickey. While simultaneously expanding their professional portfolios. “Our students are a great source of inspiration for creative work and we were extremely honoured to be a part of the global celebration for Mickey,” said Jaime Tapias, Director of SCADpro.
Ahead of the programme, students were given a behind-the-scenes experience at Hong Kong Disneyland, including private viewings of Mickey’s style guides and design collaborations.
Perfect partnership
The project celebrated facets of Mickey’s past, present and future and highlighted significant aspects of his influential 90 years. Before work commenced on it, research was conducted to fully understand the target buyer. And to ensure that the fashion pieces resonated with the local community of Hong Kong. “By intertwining the history of Mickey with Hong Kong nuances, the collection reflected what Mickey means to the people of this city,” said Jaime.
SCAD has collaborated with Disney on a variety of ventures over recent years. And the brands have developed a strong working relationship. “Disney has shared an extraordinary level of commitment, mentorship and expertise with the students, which has made this a very special project,” Jamie said. “A great deal of work was required from the students when creating their own Mickey Mouse Street Fashion collection. And the partnership has cultivated stronger designers, smarter critical thinkers and exceptional artists – preparing our students well for successful careers in the industry.”
The partnership programme concluded on 15 November last year, when the complete collection was showcased to Disney executives, mentors and SCAD programme faculty.
SCAD is a private, non-profit university that offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees for students wanting to work in the art and design industries. It has campuses in Hong Kong, the US and France, and also offers e-learning.
Savannah College of the Arts is at 292 Tai Po Road, Sham Shui Po. scad.edu
See more in our Living in Hong Kong section
Things to do and see in Hong Kong
What it’s like to live in Hong Kong
Creative courses from art to fashion
This article first appeared in the December/January 2018/19 issue of Expat Living magazine. Subscribe now so you never miss an issue.
