News Detail
Eternal Style
Hettrick ’22 turns fabric into fashion in museum design workshop
Fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent famously said, “Fashions fade, style is eternal.” Harry Hettrick ’22 exemplifies this in both his work and his own style.
Hettrick has been making waves in the fashion world since 2016, his first year participating in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Teen Stylin’ program. Teen Stylin’ is a twelve-week program held at VMFA that includes fashion-design workshops during which participants learn from professional fashion designers and industry specialists to create innovative garments inspired by VMFA’s collection.
Hettrick was in seventh grade for his first Teen Stylin’ however he began experimenting with fashion as a young child. “I would use costumes and dress up to replicate fashion from movies and magazines,” says Hettrick. “My grandmother taught me to sew in third grade, and I dove into it. I liked the idea of being able to hand make something myself. I got my first sewing machine in 7th grade and started being more interested in fashion and creation... the more I did it, the more capable I became.”
Capable has turned to superlative in the intervening years. “Harry has such passion and knowledge of fashion from designers to history already, that he is definitely going to be successful in whatever avenue he pursues in fashion,” says his IB art teacher, Ali Moriarty. “It's part of who he is as a person.”
Hettrick revels in the history of fashion both for his pieces and in his own personal style. “I love vintage clothing. Everything repeats itself [in fashion], and I love that many vintage pieces are handmade and have a history to them,” he says. “Seeing tags from the department stores like Thalhimers, Miller & Rhoads shares that history. I love the idea of feeling what it felt like to wear something that someone wore in the past.” He even made a pair of 1800s stays to experience what wearing them was like.
Hettrick credits his love of history and vintage items to his grandmother and mother. “My grandmother is a huge inspiration,” he says. “She has always been very fashion-forward. I love listening to her stories, hearing about her experiences, and seeing her collections in her home. My mom has also been a major influence. She knows what she likes to wear and she is so happy in her wardrobe.”
For this year’s Teen Stylin’, Hettrick was assigned the museum’s Asiatic sarcophogus from the 3rd century AD as the piece from which to base his work. “It was once a beautiful piece of Roman creation but over time it has become worn and chipped, “ he says, “so I am creating a piece that uses rough plaster but also organic beauty, so it is more of my interpretation of how beauty can decay over time but is still beautiful in its own sense.” Last year’s session used a piece by Georgia O’Keefe.
Hettrick appreciates Teen Stylin’s focus not only on art and design, but also the business side of design. “We’ve studied Anna Wintour and more real-world applications and information about the economics of art,” says Hettrick. “It isn’t just the pieces you create, it is you as a brand and a designer. How do you stand out and sell your product?”
Hettrick also credits Teen Stylin’ as one of the best fashion programs for adolescents, and he appreciates being surrounded by peers and the guest artists who share their wisdom and experience. “You can learn from them and they are so open to helping you. It’s only as competitive as you want it to be,”says Hettrick. “The focus is on learning the design process and learning who you are as a designer, not the awards.”
Hettrick also appreciates the influence of peers and teachers at Trinity in shaping his work. “Being around other IB artists at Trinity pushes me to grow,” he says. “This has shown me that in the future I want to surround myself with people who are more talented and will push me even further. It is so inspiring to see what others create.”
In working with Ms. Moriarty in the Perkinson Art Center, Hettrick says: “Ms. Moriarty’s fashion design experience allows her to make suggestions while still giving me room to be my own artist and ultimately make my own choices. Participating in critiques allows me to be open to criticism and hearing it while also allowing me to keep my own ideas.”
For her part, Moriarty says of Hettrick: “Speaking with him is such a joy because he is so articulate and passionate about art and design and fashion... I love how he expresses himself through fashion. He is so thoughtful in his process; his attention to detail is central to his work.”
While Hettrick hasn’t specifically mapped his future in fashion and design, it is clear that there are more great things to come. From Teen Stylin’ to IB art to making his own clothing, Hettrick’s timeless sense of style will resonate for years to come.
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