SCAD fashion design student Mairig Fesshaye is one to watch
SCAD student and EUKONO label founder Mairig Fesshaye is poised for style stardom.
You could call Mairig Fesshaye a star student — “star” being the operative word. The 25-year-old Atlanta native splits her time toggling between being working on her final academic collection as a senior at the local Savannah College of Art and Design campus and running her own fashion label, EUKONO, which means "infinite possibilities" in her parents' native language Tigrinya (her parents immigrated here in the ‘80s from the African country Eritrea).
Though Fesshaye has been designing since the age of 6, she didn’t learn how to sew until two years ago. “Prior to my enrollment at SCAD, I was studying sculpture at the University of West Georgia,” she told CL over email, “which I think really advanced me in terms of creating on the 3-dimensional plane.” The former intern for locally-based brand Fresh.i.Am is now working on six looks as part of her final collection, which will be closely examined by the powers that be from SCAD’s fashion department to determine which students will be chosen to attend the SCAD fashion show in Savannah. Unlike most students, Fesshaye created a six-look collection her junior year as well, a process she calls “grueling” but ultimately helped her stand out enough that European internship opportunities came calling.
As far as aesthetic goes, Fesshaye describes her style sensibility as “sensorial,” adding, “I attempt to create garments that are texturally driven, and transformative. I want the EUKONO woman to feel stimulated while being transported to another world.” Along with culling inspiration from philosophy, science and fine art, her designs also use non-traditional fabric manipulation — “currently, I am developing a series made out loose acrylic fibers used to cover bungee cords as my embellishment and finishing it with industrial silicone,” the designer says.
To date, she’s had her designs worn by local notables such as musician Michika McClinton (who goes by the name Tantrum), and has dreams of working at iconic fashion houses such as Givenchy or Maison Margiela. “Ultimately,” Fesshaye adds, “I want to be the go-to gal in the industry, by working with multiple fashion houses for concept development, fabric manipulation, and technical design.”