Lisa Zirngast
"It basically started out as trying to make my brother's clothes look nice on me," says US-American menswear designer Cornelia Borgerhoff. Based in Brooklyn, her wardrobe growing up consisted of hand-me-downs from her brother which were in need of some alterations. Curiosity sparked, nine-year-old Cornelia sat down, started sewing and hasn't put the needle down ever since.
Check Cornelia Borgerhoff's portfolio on Pinterest
Cornelia Borgerhoff, Final Collection
Originally from Texas and of African-American descent, Cornelia and her brother were adopted by a white family from Philadelphia. Not biologically related, both of them grew up in a quiet, historical neighbourhood. "A lot of people didn't even think we lived there because we just looked so out of place," Cornelia remembers. Her surroundings drastically changed when she moved to Brooklyn for college. In May of this year, she graduated from Pratt Institute with a BA in Fashion Design.
"Every school I went to was predominantly white. It never felt uncomfortable to me. I saw it more as an opportunity to show my fellow students what it means to be Black in a way that isn't too much in your face."
"You sound white" – a small comment, made by someone a long time back, was enough to have made a lasting impact on her. "What does that even mean?" Cornelia asks as she continues, "It stuck with me for a really, really long time and up until recently, I hadn't unpacked what that meant to me. Every school I went to was predominantly white. It never felt uncomfortable to me. I saw it more as an opportunity to show my fellow students what it means to be Black in a way that isn't too much in your face," she says. The notion of presenting whiteness when you yourself aren't is something that accompanied her all throughout her teenage years and found its culmination in her graduate collection.
Cornelia Borgerhoff, Design Development
Inspired by the women in her family who attended Ivy League Colleges, Cornelia's looks pay homage to US-American prep-school style with both the colours and silhouettes pulled from the traditional college attire worn by frat boys decades ago. There is a simple khaki sweatsuit, basketball shorts with varying prints in the front and back worn with a crisp white tee, and an oversized white and red striped Rugby shirt with extra sleeves by the waist to create the illusion of a sweater being casually tied around. While wide-legged pants, a tailored plaid jacket and a blue and green madras plaid cardigan with yellow seams pick up on chic Ivy League staples, hoodies pledging allegiance to colleges with their emblems are thrown on top to bring the look back down.
"Since the job market is so slim right now, it has given me an opportunity to reflect on all of my work and think about things I'd look to pursue in the future with my work as well as explore other avenues that I didn't think of."
Due to the pandemic, the second semester of Cornelia's senior year got cancelled and saw her working on her final collection at home. Pratt released a portfolio of all the graduates' work, yet there was no physical fashion show. Not necessarily a bad thing according to the menswear designer, as it allowed her to think about new formats apart from the traditional fashion show. "Since the job market is so slim right now, it has given me an opportunity to reflect on all of my work and think about things I'd look to pursue in the future with my work as well as explore other avenues that I didn't think of," she shares.
At first, Cornelia struggled with the overall digitalisation happening right now, as she was more focused on the actual production of her garments. However, living with a couple of friends, all working within the arts as well, she found herself surrounded by many sources of inspiration. With fashion, film, photography and graphic design under one roof, the idea of forming a collective to not only showcase but enrich each others' visions sounds very appealing to her.
Cornelia chose Pratt Institute to keep that small kind of environment that she was used to from her high school back home in Philadelphia. It enabled her to easily exchange ideas with the professors who, due to the small batch size, get to know their students and their respective work more closely.
Her advice to new students? "Not letting the lack of representation stop you from what you want to do. I didn't really see many Black women in the fashion industry, but that didn't mean that I couldn't do it. Keep motivating yourself, you will find your place."
"There's a lot that's been done in womenswear and it's hard to be as creative sometimes when so many things have already been tried."
Luckily, Cornelia was able to do a number of internships within different sectors of the industry – styling, sales, showrooms. However, it was her time as menswear design intern at Tommy Hilfiger – a true fashion match made in heaven considering Hilfiger's penchant for Americana – that fortified her decision to leave womenswear behind. Personally more attracted to men's silhouettes for her own clothes, she also sees more variety in menswear. "There's a lot that's been done in womenswear and it's hard to be as creative sometimes when so many things have already been tried."
"I don't want to feed the beast, but I also spent all my life wanting to be part of it."
When it comes to her thoughts on the current state of the fashion industry, there are two causes that are especially important to her. For one, sustainability and the need to slow things down and produce less waste. Second, the lack of representation as in the US, sliding things by and hoping it will be enough is no longer a solution. "I don't want to feed the beast, but I also spent all my life wanting to be part of it," Cornelia says, adding that she'd love to find alternative ways to work in the industry without having to commit to a big company.
"Building a community around a smaller brand is very attractive to me."
After a summer-long break, the freshly graduated designer is on the job hunt and ready to get creative again. For now, Cornelia does not see herself owning her own brand or being in charge of a big fashion house, " I would like to be someone's right-hand man or an assistant designer." When asked what her dream job would be, she answered that she would love to work for a sustainable streetwear brand, along the lines of NYC-based skate brand Noah, that produces limited edition collections and has a loyal customer base. "Building a community around a smaller brand is very attractive to me," she shares.
Cornelia Borgerhoff's design is deeply rooted in her upbringing as a Black girl in a predominantly white environment. In her collection, she takes American classics such as hoodies, sweaters and rugby shirts and skillfully transforms them into contemporary menswear that simultaneously pays homage to prep-school attire without forgetting about her own roots and experiences that make her pieces so relevant for our current climate.
Words by Lisa Zirngast
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