Mirella Romano

I was inspired by a trip to Mercer Caverns in central California, a vast limestone cave system hidden beneath our feet. It was formed by acidic groundwater seeping into cracks in ancient rock more than 12 million years ago, and the caverns emerged as water slowly flowed over limestone and dissolved it, carving out space over unimaginable time. Dripping and flowing, mineral-rich water shaped stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, and an endless range of extraordinary textures and forms. Witnessing how a few streams of rainwater runoff could transform solid stone into such an expansive, hidden world of beauty sparked something in me. I loved the idea that these crystals, silhouettes, and surfaces were created entirely by accident, by countless small, natural chemical interactions unfolding over millions of years. They were not formed to be beautiful, or useful, or protective. They simply became. And yet, they are breathtaking. That is the foundation of my collection, Substrata, a name that refers to geological layers built slowly over time. It means accumulation, patience, and depth, reflecting how this collection builds meaning through layered forms and organic development rather than immediacy or trend-based design. The collection has dripped and melded together in a spiraling, organic, and all-consuming way. I imagine a world in which these garments belong to cave-dwelling creatures that were dragged through mud, shaped by natural phenomena, and worn without the intention to be beautiful. They are muddied, strange, and raw, and still undeniably stunning. This collection is a celebration of unseen beauty. It magnifies it, brings it into the light, and allows what would have remained underground to be seen.

Faculty Gary Miller, Yuko Fujishima, Neil Gilks, Iliana Ricketts