College for Creative Studies (CCS) and 313 Presents announce Penny Livingston as the winner of the third annual Pine Knob Music Theatre commemorative poster design competition. Now in its third year, the collaboration between 313 Presents and CCS highlights the talents of the top illustration and design students in the country. Sponsored by 313 Presents and led by Chair of Illustration Don Kilpatrick, the competition is integrated into the CCS curriculum each fall. Throughout the 2024 semester, students were challenged to create a professional, client-ready design that captures the energy and spirit of Pine Knob, Metro Detroit’s most iconic outdoor music venue and a beloved summer tradition.

Livingston’s limited-edition design will be featured as Pine Knob’s official Proud Partner promotional giveaway at select shows throughout the 2025 season.

“We’re proud to continue our partnership with the College for Creative Studies for a third consecutive year,” said Howard Handler, President of 313 Presents. “This collaboration not only supports emerging talent but also invites a new generation of artists to interpret and celebrate the Pine Knob legacy. Each year, we’re amazed by the incredible student work that captures the essence of this iconic venue.”

“We are excited at College for Creative Studies for another opportunity to work with the wonderful team at 313 Presents and are looking forward to the unveiling of this year’s commemorative poster designed by a CCS Illustration student,” said Don Tuski, President of the College for Creative Studies. “This collaboration provides our students with invaluable real-world experience, showcasing their talent on a significant platform. We are immensely proud of the dedication and creativity Penny poured into this project, and we believe the public will be truly impressed by what they see.”

The 2025 summer concert season at Pine Knob Music Theatre begins on Wednesday, June 11 with Grammy® nominated multi-platinum, genre-defying artist Halsey bringing her highly anticipated “Halsey: For My Last Trick Tour for 2025” with special guests Royel Otis and Sir Chloe. Tickets are on sale now at 313Presents.com, LiveNation.com, ForMyLastTrick.com and Ticketmaster.com.

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The College for Creative Studies (CCS) celebrated its fifth iteration of The Show, which took place on April 26, 2025 at 7 p.m. at the General Motors Design Dome. Featuring over 100 looks from 26 students enrolled in CCS’s Fashion Design Program, this year’s runway presentation marked 10 years since the department’s inception in 2015.

The Show 2025 featured collections from Bridget Weiss, Morgan Novetsky, Jackie Kramer, Nicholas Alberto Madruga, Justin Hilberer, Emma Wilson, Meka Johnson, Robert Robinson, Santino Giglio, Luka Galle-Callahan, Sophia Jensen, Avery Mangum, Sarah Nofar, Bryce Truby, Aidan Richards, Bryn Hazen, Athan Hillman, Imani Stowers, Quade Feller, Kaiden McArthur, Maxwell Honeycutt, Veronica Wardowski, Izzy Abohasira, Marwa Bissada, Falina Jimerson and Griffin Mesner.

The show had over 400 guests throughout the evening. Notable attendees include Rea Brayshaw, Office Magazine; Chuck Bennett, Fox 2 News Style Ambassador; Awenate Cobbina, Bedrock; Cassell Ferere, Forbes; Catherine and Nathan Forbes, The Forbes Company; Ralph Gilles, Stellantis; Darwin “Detroit Dar” Gordon, Influencer; Ryan Patrick Hooper, WDET; Erica Jackson, Soho House; Roslyn Karamako, Detroit is the New Black; Danialle Karmanos?, Mad Dog Technology; Nate Lynn, Detroit Lions; Diane Mahady, Hèrmes; Tiff Massey, Artist; Mario Moore, Artist; Ann-Marie Mountford, Caleres; Ekanem N. Obong, Michigan Senate; Youwie Roes, KV Roes; Michael Simcoe, Senior Vice President of GM Global Design; Brittany Simmons, Influencer; Gretchen Valade, Carhartt; Millie de la Valette, Louis Vuitton; Tony Whlgn, Artist; Angela Wisnieski, Coup de’Tat; Jennifer Witcher, DJ Minx.

To commemorate this milestone, the theme of this year’s show is “Icons,” celebrating the individuals, institutions and movements throughout history that make Detroit the iconic city it is. As an institution that fosters the next generation of artists and designers in Detroit through its unique experiential learning model, CCS hopes to contribute to furthering the city’s creative economy with its annual runway presentation. The Show brings together entrepreneurs, recruiters, tastemakers and industry professionals to showcase CCS’s fresh class of emerging designers.

Featuring capsule collections from a select group of senior, junior, sophomore and freshman students enrolled in the program, The Show presented a broad range of cutting-edge designs in apparel and accessories. This year, The Show’s media partner was SEEN Magazine.

The CCS Fashion Design Program, heralded as the largest and most equipped fashion accessory design department in the United States, was established a decade ago under the leadership of renowned footwear designer and Linda Dresner Endowed Chair in Fashion Design Aki Choklat. Thanks to the addition of Antwerp designer Rey Pador as associate professor and full-time faculty member, and countless contributions from the department’s dedicated faculty, the department has fully expanded to include Apparel Design, making it the robust program it is today.

The program has grown exponentially over the last ten years, equipping students with the tools they need to enter the job market through supplementary resources such as its Fashion Design Advisory Council. With representatives from Louis Vuitton, Bottega Veneta, Tapestry, Hermès, Caleres, Carhartt, CFDA and more, students have the opportunity to engage with these fashion houses and organizations through semester-long sponsored projects as well as jury evaluations twice per year. Looking ahead to the next decade, CCS announced last fall that they have submitted a fashion business management program for 2026 accreditation.

Designed in 1956 as part of Eero Saarinen’s mid-century modern campus, the GM Design Dome revolutionized the automotive industry, marking the first time cars were presented as works of art. Widely recognized today as a historical landmark representing architectural and automotive innovation, the Design Dome’s bold modern aesthetic aligns closely with The Show’s vision, putting designers at the start of their careers in front of a global audience.

SENIOR COLLECTIONS

Justin Hilberer

CCS Senior Justin Hilberer’s collection, Preservation, explores the concept of evolution, honing in on the adaptability of animals. Hilberer’s collection is reflective of how human beings emulate tactics of survival. Drawing parallels between brutalist architecture and cold, uncanny feelings associated with survival, he combines mixed metals, leather and animal fur, manipulating these materials into large, boxy shapes. Referencing how technological advancements by humans speed the process of everyday tasks, all pieces in Hilberer’s collection are meticulously hand-sewn. As a jewelry minor, he incorporates hammer-formed masks and neck pieces, as well as hand-spun chain mail to adorn many of the collection pieces.

Meka Johnson

Inspired by the seven deadly sins, CCS Senior Meka Johnson’s collection, Ambrose, is a gothic spin on wedding attire. Johnson has created seven elaborate gowns that personify each of the deadly sins, signifying their individual relationship to emotional betrayal. Primarily working with satin, tulle, crinoline and cotton, Johnson has fulfilled a need for garments that fall outside of traditional white wedding attire.

Jackie Kramer

CCS Senior Jackie Kramer weaves sacred geometry into every aspect of her final collection. Titled Courage is a Virtue, Kramer follows the parameters of the “golden mean,” or desirable middle ground between two extremes. For this collection, she utilizes leather and wood as her extremes. Every shape crafted into her accessories references geometry, with her primary shapes being a half circle, circle and triangle. She has ensured every piece has an intersection point between the wood and leather to create this middle ground. Her collection is grounded in the famous quote from Aristotle, “Courage is the first virtue that makes all other virtues possible.”

Nick Madruga

Titled “BIONICK,” CCS Senior Nick Madruga’s collection pays homage to his younger self and his relationship with nature. Driven by what he refers to as “simple construction with interesting shapes,” Madruga’s design philosophy leads him to create larger-than-life silhouettes with unconventional, upcycled materials. All garments were constructed by hand and are complemented by custom 3D-printed shoes.

Morgan Novetsky

CCS Senior Morgan Novetsky’s senior accessories collection hones in on the concept of leaving a legacy. As many designers struggle with anxieties of being forgotten or not leaving an impact on such a saturated fashion industry, EMET-met explores these emotions that can hinder personal growth. With all shoes and bags made by hand, many pieces appear unfinished or peel back to reveal the technical process of shoe-making, showing how feelings of uncertainty can slow the path to success.

Bridget Weiss

CCS Senior Bridget Weiss’s technical approach to design led her to her collection thesis exploring the domination of technology and machines over nature, and how these man-made entities attempt to mimic qualities of living organisms. With nods to aquatic life in contrast to automotive construction, her collection, titled Seal the River at it’s Mouth Take the Water Prisoner, utilizes wood, leather and 3D-printed aluminum fixtures to create smooth, shiny textures that intersect with fluid movement.

Emma Wilson

Gaia Carnis, CCS Senior Emma Wilson’s final collection, represents parallels between the exploitation of women and nature, subverting the way both are traditionally perceived as beautiful. Wilson takes the romanticization of women throughout history and traditional gardens with reference to the Enlightenment era and spins them to the grotesque. Working with leather, transparent lamb skin, hair, possum fur and even worms, Wilson encourages viewers to find beauty in the less appealing facets of womanhood and nature.

Over the course of the Fall semester, the College for Creative Studies hosted 11 sponsored projects and competitions across a variety of disciplines. Students from a wide range of disciplines partnered 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. Highlighted collaborations during the Fall semester include:

“The most important project that I did at CCS was a sponsored project,” said Hakha Masahyekhi, ’15 Integrated Design (MFA) reflecting on his time here. “It was so valuable to get real feedback from working professionals. That’s something that you never get in school.”

Continuing its expansive work serving communities in Detroit and beyond, the CCS Practicing Design Center supports nonprofit organizations through partnerships offering design solutions from CCS faculty and students

The College for Creative Studies (CCS) is pleased to announce the launch of its Practicing Design Center, partnering nonprofit and community organizations with CCS students and faculty to tackle community challenges using the transformative power of art and design.

“At CCS, our focus on experiential learning and working within our community is of the utmost importance,” said Don Tuski, President, College for Creative Studies. “The Practicing Design Center brings these two initiatives together by pairing the innovative art, design and strategy work students are doing with non-profits and community organizations that offer exciting and challenging opportunities. This expands CCS’ impact in the community.”

CCS has worked with over 200 organizations through its existing Educational Partnerships program between 2017 and 2024. However, the current partnership model poses financial and capacity barriers for nonprofits and small businesses to participate. Thanks to support from Ford Philanthropy, Gilbert Family Foundation, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, and Detroit Public Library Foundation, CCS has been able to work with nonprofit organizations like C.L.A.S.S. Agency, COTS Detroit, Forgotten Harvest, InsideOut Literary Arts, Life Remodeled, and others.

Learning from those experiences, CCS is organizing its social impact work with students and faculty via the new Practicing Design Center. The center will offer three benefits:

  • A streamlined process for nonprofits and small businesses to collaborate with CCS students and faculty through classroom projects, design sprints and internship opportunities.
  • Accessible way for funders and civic leaders to connect their interests to the creative and problem-solving skillsets offered by CCS faculty and students.
  • Enhanced interdisciplinary opportunities for students to develop comprehensive skill sets through real-world experiences working with nonprofit and entrepreneurial partners.

With support from Ford Philanthropy, the Practicing Design Center is launching its first call for interest for Winter 2025 projects starting on Thursday, September 26, 2024. Interested organizations can complete a brief application form on the College’s Practicing Design Center website. Submitted proposals will be reviewed by a CCS committee and selected based on their alignment with the following criteria: experiential learning and educational value, project impact, project feasibility and scope, partner capacity for support and collaboration, and alignment with College’s mission and principles. Recent examples of CCS’s prior social impact work include the following partnerships:

  • C.L.A.S.S Agency: In the Winter 2024 semester, Undergraduate Interior Design and Graduate-level Color & Materials Design students worked together to develop a comprehensive design for a vacant building that C.L.A.S.S. wants to repurpose for a safe house and resilience hub for youth and young adults. The students created visual assets to help the organization demonstrate a vision for its future.
  • Life Remodeled and Durfee Innovation Center: In the fall 2020 semester, Communication Design students created brand identity strategies that could function across multiple media platforms in order to meet Life Remodeled’s diverse communication needs and to support the multifaceted nature of the Durfee Innovation Center’s role in Detroit’s west-side neighborhood. Through the Practicing Design Center, CCS will place two students this fall at Life Remodeled to help strengthen their brand as they expand into new programming.

“Since our founding in 2010, Life Remodeled’s neighborhood revitalization work has evolved significantly over our first decade. However, a number of branding challenges remained, and we were unable to afford professional assistance,” said Chris Lambert, CEO of Life Remodeled, a CCS nonprofit partner. “Our partnership with CCS Communication Design students was not only a fun process for our team, but the final outcomes were just what we needed.”

“I am ecstatic about the possibilities uncovered by the youth. I am also proud to know that CCS is a gem in the city that anchors an incredible amount of creative genius,” said Dr. Karla Mitchell, Executive Director of C.L.A.S.S. “What the students were able to envision and reimagine after connecting to our mission gives our staff and youth great hope for the kind of community this project will create. The passion and connection to the work that C.L.A.S.S. does was evident at every encounter, every design review and we loved it.”

PRACTICING DESIGN CENTER LAUNCH EVENT

Practicing Design Center launched officially on September 26, 2024 with a pop-up exhibition as part of Detroit Month of Design, The C.L.A.S.S. Project: Transformative Connection with Space and Matter, at the Gensler Detroit office. The exhibition featured design work from CCS students, including Undergraduate Interior Design and Graduate Studies in Color & Materials Design. Students collaborated with C.L.A.S.S. Agency on a project aimed at enhancing systems, environments, and lifestyles of stakeholders through restoration, revitalization, and renewal.

Learn more about the Practicing Design Center here: https://hire.ccsdetroit.edu/practicing-design-center/