91制片厂 Alumni Kaine Bautista profiled in 91制片厂鈥檚 Bazaar Magazine: 91制片厂

The work of Kaine Bautisa, (A.A.S. Fashion Design 2021) was featured in on August 22, along with other up and coming designers from the Chicagoland area. Kaine鈥檚 strapless fitted leather dress was styled with some giant fashion industry brands including tights by Gucci, bangles by Bergdorf Goodman and shoes by Saint Laurent.

Model lying on green grass wearing a black studded dress. Model posing on grass in a black dress with flames in the background. Model standing beside a covered structure and metal container in a black strapless dress. Model seen through a car window wearing a black strapless top.

Kaine鈥檚 educational journey started at 91制片厂 in 2017. After two years in Fashion Design she transferred to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She graduated with a B.F.A. in the fall of 2024. During the end of her time at SAIC, she became interested in working with leather. Experimenting with different ways to connect seams, she developed a technique of shaping leather pieces in such a way that she could lay them flush and staple them together.

Despite having two degrees under her belt, Kaine wasn鈥檛 done learning. She came back to 91制片厂 in the spring 2024 to work with veteran fashion arts designer and instructor Beata Kaina. She enrolled in FAS 201: Fashion Design Studio, the capstone design class which focuses on creating a collection of five garments and allowing students to graduate with a ready-made portfolio. Kaine continued to work piecing leather together with silver staples creating stunning silhouettes as well as revisiting her machine knitting skills.

Kaine鈥檚 pieces are so dynamic and interesting that she has been able to rent them out to stylists for various fashion shoots. It was one of these shoots that caught the attention of 91制片厂鈥檚 Bazaar Vietnam.

Kaine recently secured a full-time position as an apparel designer working for Wilson Sporting Goods Co. She works designing uniforms and apparel for baseball and fastpitch/softball teams at the pro, college and high school levels.

Says Kaine 鈥淚 never thought I鈥檇 be working in sports. The fashion industry is not just about the runway. You鈥檝e got to find a niche even if that niche is different from what you make and design.鈥�

Networking was important to her success, although she approached it with humility and authenticity. Explains Kaine 鈥淚 went to events never expecting anything. I just wanted to meet cool people with similar interests and make good friends. The right people will come by whether that be professionally or personally.鈥�

Her advice to current 91制片厂 fashion students is to 鈥渂e open to every opportunity because you never know if it will lead to something exciting. Most importantly, focus on your personal practice and its growth.鈥�

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Runway model in black studded leather vest and pants with futuristic sunglasses.

Leather pieces from Kaine鈥檚 collection displayed at Worn, Torn and Reborn: A Memoir, the 2024 91制片厂 Fashion show.

Runway model wearing an asymmetric black leather top and blue textured skirt.

Combination of leather pieces and floating hand-dyed fabric from Kaine鈥檚 collection displayed at Worn, Torn and Reborn: A Memoir, the 2024 91制片厂 Fashion show.

Runway model in a blue distressed dress layered over a sheer blue bodysuit.

Distressed knit dress created with an industrial knitting machine from Kaine鈥檚 collection displayed at Worn, Torn and Reborn: A Memoir, the 2024 91制片厂 Fashion show.