Embark on a dreamlike odyssey in Escalate, a high-concept fashion film in which SCAD alumni designs evoke world-changing social, cultural, and political figures in a lush alternate universe.
Honoring historic changemakers and their legacies, Escalate features extraordinary garments created by the SCAD Changemakers Alumni Design Challenge finalists in which vital figures of the past celebrate creative expression with a vision to a more inclusive future. Curated by Academy Award-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter and premiering at her monumental exhibition “Afrofuturism in Costume Design” at SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film, the challenge invited exceptional alumni from the university’s top-ranked School of Fashion to design futuristic fashions evoking history-changing leaders inspired by Carter’s iconic work for film. Garments pay tribute to Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Malcolm X, David Bowie, Semiha Berksoy, Fela Kuti, Elaine Brown, and Stokely Carmichael, among others.
Director/DP: Chris Anthony Hamilton
Production Coordinator: Kenley Duke
Choreographer: T Lang
Wardrobe Stylist: Tenley Strickland
Lead Seamstress: Belinda Grimes
Composers: Okorie Johnson, Salah Ananse, Munir, Colette Coward
1st AD: Antoine Ivey
2nd AD: Gina Campo
Photographer: Collin Gray
Photo Assistant: Michelle Carmona
Steadicam Operator: Angélica Pérez-Castro
1st AC: Rome Williams
2nd AC: Daniel Guarino
Media Manager: Juan Santana
Gaffer: Brad McGaughey
Best Boy Electric: Greg Golter
Key Grip: Evan Wiliiams
Best Boy Grip: Carlos Rojas
Swing: Will Middlebrooks
Prop Stylist: Risha Carnes
Production Designer: Victoria Sou
Set Builders: Sarah Falls, Tamara Turner, Brian Keepers
Set Dressers: Daniel St. John,
Christina Mayo
Key Makeup Artist: Charlene Salter-Legend
Additional Makeup Artists: Tiesha (Tie) Cooper, Elyse Davis, Doneshia Lewis
Key Hair Stylist: China Upshaw
Assistant Hair Stylist: Javon Pinellas
Production Assistants: Byron Johnson, Samuel Sow, Treasure Doberson, Carlton Griffin
Dancers:
Perlizbeth De Leon
Deborah Hughes
Rikki McKinney
Jeremiah Thompson
Amanda Pavan
Amelia Bentley
Anami Hayes
Ayden Behn
Rebeca Salgado
Bhavana Reddy
Cleon Ony
Mukundi Kamwendo
Nicole Wheeler
Robert Jackson
Sameera Jaini
Eliezer Garcia Garzaui
Pranvitha Muppala
My first Set Decorating gig! ✨ Thank you so much to Production Designer Victoria Sou for welcoming me to the team and my first on screen credit! For this project I got to make paper flowers and a cloud tunnel; mount, hang, and pin lights; learn how to set C-stands, how to drape around escalators, and SFX hazing techniques. My lil hatchback was overflowing with fiber fill after running for supplies o.o We held a lot up with Command strips, monofilament (aka fishing line), and safety pins. Brian Keepers also made an awesome stand for the team to build and strike the set safely while working on the escalators. So inspired working with everyone on this set.
Check out the whole video at https://vimeo.com/593101657.
Find out more at scadfash.org/escalate.
