A Cut Above MassArt | Hive & Colony

Reimagining the Jacket

A Cut Above x MassArt challenged emerging designers to rethink what already exists.

Working with existing Hive & Colony garments, students explored how tailoring can evolve, not by starting from scratch, but by transforming what’s already there. The result: a signature jacket, reimagined through new ideas, new intentions, and new voices.

“The competition was to help young designers gain real world skills and prioritize upcycling. All students who participated in the process brought so much value to the collaboration between Mass Art & Hive&Colony. To the winner of the upcycling competition, it was amazing to see and watch your full creative process. This competition challenged you in various ways, and you had great execution.”

Brittanie Gigler, Head of Product Development & Design at
Hive & Colony

Exterior of the Massachusetts College of Art and Design building in Boston.

The Challenge

Hive & Colony partnered with Massachusetts College of Art and Design to invite students into a different kind of design challenge.

Guided by the theme In Tempo, students were asked to explore how rhythm and presence can shape a garment. Rather than creating something entirely new, they reinterpreted an existing jacket, approaching it through craft, intention, and personal perspective.

Each piece responded to its own cadence: structure, flow, stillness, impact. And what emerged was a reinterpretation of the original, shaped through distinct points of view.

Fashion students reviewing jacket sketches and design concepts around a studio table.

The Competition

This edition of A Cut Above took the form of an upcycling challenge rooted in real-world design thinking.

Students worked with existing Hive & Colony garments, navigating:

Creative constraint
Technical execution
Material limitations

From concept to construction, the process reflected how ideas evolve in the industry: collaboratively, thoughtfully, and with purpose.

Close-up of colorful fashion sketches held in front of dress forms.

The Process

Selected students developed a concept package that included:

Original sketches
Moodboards
Fabric and material direction
A presentation of their design intent

Finalists were then selected to bring their concepts to life. Working alongside Hive & Colony, they translated ideas into fully realized jackets, each one developed through fittings, adjustments, and craftsmanship

See the Process

Two dress forms displaying an unfinished muslin jacket prototype in a fashion studio.

Finalists

Becky Chen
Richard Bui
Ishwari Vora
T Medeiros
Laurel Krick

Meet the Finalists

Man adjusting a layered jacket on a mannequin during the A Cut Above showcase.

Each finalist constructed a fully realized jacket, ready for presentation. The completed pieces were showcased during a live event in our Boston Hive set to live jazz, creating an atmosphere where movement, rhythm, and tailoring came together in real time.

Designs were evaluated on creativity, execution, and interpretation of the brief by a special jury: