Art. Fashion. Two words that intuitively should go hand in hand. But in today’s world, the gap between the two gets wider and wider. Steven Horton Jr., a fifth year apparel design major at Oregon State University, is on a mission to bring clothing design back to an art form.

Born in Yokohama, Japan in 1992 and raised in the Kanagawa Prefecture, Horton received his first undergraduate degree in fine arts with a focus in drawing and painting. Horton’s love for art and design center around contemporary minimalism. Horton expressed that being born and raised in Japan had a strong influence on his art and design aesthetic.

Currently, he is inspired by the designs of Phoebe Philo, Rick Owens, and Jil Sander.  In particular Philo’s simple yet powerful work as creative director of Celine, has served as inspiration for Horton’s own designs.

In order to succeed in the fashion industry, Horton believes a designer must have a combination of organization and time management skills. When he first started designing, he would illustrate his creations on a physical sketchbook. However, since he got an iPad, he has been sketching digitally and using applications such as ProCreate, Photoshop, and Illustrator. Horton’s passion for creating beautiful clothing has encouraged him to continue refining his drawing and sewing skills here at OSU.

When asked about the future, Horton said that he has high hopes of working for Nike or becoming a creative director for one of his favorite brands. He believes that fashion designers play an important role in protecting the art that goes into clothing. The industry must continue to value the quality of clothing and the process of creating it, explains Horton. With his appreciation for craft and his passion for creating art, there is no doubt that Horton is well on his way to achieving his goals.