Department of Fine and Performing Arts

Marissa Ward

Rissky Affairs

Thesis Statement

Rissky Affairs is the name of my clothing brand..  I came up with Rissky Affairs as my creative identity because I feel like the elements of the way I start the design process is unique. I tend to start the manipulation of fabrics without any thoughts of design just going with the flow, which is risky and scary to not know what's will become of the fabric. But I end up surprising myself with my exploration of design and come up with designs based on the fabric.

The word risky is misspelled in order to simulate a piece of my name since this line is a piece of me.  Also represents always wanting to take risks and challenges with my clothing choices and combining colors I chose to match together or take a risk on social norms on what other women with a curvy figure should and should not wear. The affair portion is in reference to my apparel being worn for all occasions while being able to stand out. Burlesques is the theme of my clothing. This is something which makes females feel sexy and better about themselves such as lingerie, but this will intel whimsical- structural designs. Also, I want to incorporate that internal sex appeal into everyday clothing to excel the self-esteem of individuals of how they view themselves.

  • I find inspiration in many places like Canada, Mexico, Tv shows like Dynasty, Gossip Girl which have influenced my creative style and process. I create clothes because I want people to feel good about themselves in any shape or form, creating the inner sexy and embracing that confidence and channeling that into the clothes. I specialize in fashion design and creating original designs that I have never seen before and experimenting. I focus on body positivity when creating my collection and clothing. I feel like the human body is constantly going through ongoing changes. As the body changes, the reflection of people’s appearance changes as well. I want people to feel good about themselves in all shapes and sizes.  I also enjoy working with graphic design creating aesthetics. I want to bring my vision to life with endless creativity. The limitless amount of content allows me to change the theme and have my fresh ideas incorporated in my brand.

    My art style is focused on sculptural designs and whimsical prep looks that are timeless as well as fresh looks. I am motivated by the change and new ideas of high fashion runway. The culture of celebrities getting custom designs showing amazing skill and techniques. This encourages me to learn more and become precise with my skills and evolve with the fashion world. I've been creating art for 9 years. My favorite artist is Noa Raviv, Vera Wang, and The Blondes. I find their work to be Dynamic and breathtaking to be able to formulate 3D works of art.! I connect with the art community by sharing other creative’s work and being a support system in trying to help reach their goal since I am a fellow artist.

    When people see my work, I hope they experience a time traveling experience into the era that inspires me with every piece in the fairytale I created and recognize each element or scene I created and how it ties into my current theme.