Silhouettes by Tim Van Steenbergen and Kris Van Assche, at the Pass, 1998. By January, the students
Silhouettes by Tim Van Steenbergen and Kris Van Assche, at the Pass, 1998. By January, the students are expected to have the collection planned out, with five complete silhouettes ready to display at the ‘Pass’ (fitting) alongside their sketches and scrapbooks. The Pass can be an overwhelmingly stressful event; a midpoint in the passage of each academic year when students must present their work, inspiration and ideas to more than a dozen professors of the Academy, all arranged Last Supper-style at a long table. Criticism given at the Pass is forthright — students are picked up for failing to fully translate their ideas into garments, for poor technique, for failing to meet deadlines and even for a lack of passion and integrity. Consequently, gossip abounds among the alumni, brimming with horror stories past and present. The Pass is a very distinctive part of the Academy education. While its principle function is to assess students’ progress midway through the year, it also ensures that graduates can present themselves and their ideas in a clear and sophisticated manner. -- source link