The College for Creative Studies (CCS) was honored to participate in the launch of new retail experiences at Michigan Central Station, aimed at supporting Detroit businesses and celebrating local talent.

As part of Détroit Marché, an experiential retail space created in collaboration with Michigan Central Retail, Trading Post, and Gonzo World, the Fashion Design department at CCS installed an exhibition featuring alumni work previously showcased at Paris Fashion Week. Each piece, handcrafted by our students in Detroit, reflects the CCS Fashion program’s commitment to craftsmanship and meticulous attention to detail. Featured designers include Cierra Headings, Clay Barckholtz, Ana Bosnjakovski, Mamie Scholl, Dafne Kanberoglu and Andreas Caballero.

Located in the historic restaurant area of The Station, the Marché features over 25 vendors, including CCS alumni and students. A thoughtfully curated selection of local goods includes accessories, art, apothecary, home goods, furniture, apparel and more.

The Station is open to the public for shopping from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, through December 28.

Alumni & Student Work for Sale:

  • All Sorrows – Sean Peacock (‘22 Illustration)
  • Alorē Niemi – Alorē Niemi (‘21 Fashion Accessories Design)
  • Detroit GT – Christopher Gorski (’93 Graphic Communications)
  • Detroit Kid – K’Kio Hardin (’01 Graphic Communication)
  • Emillie Yonker – Emilie Yonker (‘25 Studio Art & Craft)
  • Jesse Kassel – Jesse Kassel (’10 Illustration)
  • Kieran Betz – Kieran Betz (‘25 Studio Art & Craft)
  • Lausten Found – Javier Terrones (’23 Transportation Design)
  • Levon Kafafian – Levon Kafafian (’14 Crafts – Fiber Design)
  • Northport Workshop – Edward Foley (‘96 Photography)

Over the course of the Winter semester, the College for Creative Studies hosted 13 sponsored projects and competitions across a variety of disciplines. Students from Communication Design and Fashion Design to Graduate Color and Materials Design and Product Design were able to partner with local and global brands to work on a specific project tailored to meet the needs of our industry partners.

Sponsored projects are highly conceptual and allow CCS students the opportunity to participate in creative, research-based assignments within real-world design parameters, interacting with designers and staff from the partnering company. The students worked on the following projects during the Winter semester.

  • C.L.A.S.S. x Interior Design & Color and Materials Design
  • Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear x Illustration
  • Ford Philanthropy x User Experience Design & Color and Materials Design
  • General Dynamics Land Systems x Transportation Design
  • General Motors x Transportation Design & User Experience Design
  • Hagopian Rug Competition x All Departments
  • John Deere x Transportation Design
  • Midea x Product Design & User Experience Design
  • Movement Music Festival (Paxahau) x Communication Design & Advertising Design
  • Nickelodeon x Entertainment Arts & Illustration
  • Stride x Entertainment Arts & User Experience Design
  • Tapestry x Fashion Design & Color and Materials Design
  • Visionalist Entertainment (Detroit: The City of Chefs) x Entertainment Arts

These educational partnerships were part of a CCS initiative focusing on experiential learning. Highlighting this approach, Matt Chung, Associate Director of Strategic Partnerships and Programs, states: “Each semester, our partners engage our students with creative challenges that extend their practice beyond the classroom. Through experiential learning, where ‘learning by doing’ is key, students bring classroom knowledge into real-world contexts. These partnerships not only sharpen our students’ skills but also fuel growth and innovation in our partner organizations.”