If you are envisioning the perfect handmade custom coat for the fall and winter months, Kent State University graduate Liam Aberle may be able to make your visions a reality.
No sooner than clients bring their ideas to Aberle, who is an assistant designer and sales associate at Yellowcake Shop in Cleveland’s Gordon Square, he is sketching, trying to bring those concepts to life.
When Aberle was a student in Kent State’s School of Fashion, in the College of the Arts, he learned a wide range of skills that he now draws on at Yellowcake Shop, which is a contemporary clothing company, where he interned and was hired full time recently.
“Over the past month, I've been getting a lot more clients who’ve been coming in and saying ‘Hey, I really have this idea for a coat that I want to make,’ Aberle said. “I’ve been helping them go through the ideation process, and I sketched it for them. I help design the coats, and then we work on pricing.”
Education Abroad at the Paris American Academy in France
Through the School of Fashion, Aberle participated in Kent State’s education-abroad program, the Paris American Academy in France, acquiring the much-coveted haute couture techniques that he can put into practice at Yellowcake Shop, which designs, cuts, produces and sells women’s clothing.
Aberle’s time in Paris was transformative for his fashion education. The immersive experience allowed him to absorb the city’s rich fashion heritage while honing his skills. “Every day there is a new best experience,” Aberle told Kent State Today in a November 2023 interview.
The program not only enhanced his design abilities but also his language skills and cultural awareness. This unique blend of cultural immersion and hands-on learning in the fashion capital of the world proved invaluable, providing Aberle with a global perspective that he now applies to his work at Yellowcake Shop.
“My experience at Kent State has really helped me with this job, not only the construction design work, which is very evident in the sewing work here, but also the business side of it,” Aberle said. “Learning how to source fabrics and learning how to find materials, learning how to upcycle and reach out to your client and appease your client. It is what Kent State really taught me.”
Valerie Mayén, the chief executive officer and founder of Yellowcake Shop, is impressed with Aberle, who is among 60 Kent State interns she has hired. She noticed they have a different work ethic and a different commitment to their craft.
Mayén said Aberle’s time at Kent State was influential on him as a designer and his capacity to be a better problem solver. “Part of that is who he is and part of it is what he has honed and gleaned from Kent State,” she added.
From Alabama Beginnings to Kent State’s Fashion Program
Aberle, a native of Mountain Brook, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham, looked at big fashion schools in New York, but Kent State won out because he said it was the best option.
“Kent State appealed to me not only because I had family in the state but also because I saw our study-abroad programs and the more affordable price point as well,” Aberle said. “And it just made too much sense to go to Kent versus one of these other schools for fashion.”
Aberle first heard of Yellowcake Shop when he was 10 years old, and he saw the business featured on the reality TV series “Project Runway” in 2010. It was only a few years later when, at the age of 13, Aberle started sewing, and he has never stopped.
Aberle originally wanted to be a concept artist for animation or video games. That is when he found out that he had fun designing the clothes that were being worn in the video games. From there, he went into costuming and then making clothes for himself. “It made sense that I would go into fashion,” he said.
Fast-forward more than 10 years after first seeing Yellowcake Shop on “Project Runway” and Aberle hears that one of his former coworkers is currently employed there. She told Aberle about a job. Mayén hired him as an intern and then in a full-time position. He graduated from Kent State with a Bachelor of Arts degree in fashion design this year. Aberle also works at David’s Bridal as lead alternations manager.
Top-Notch Faculty Made the Difference
Kent State’s School of Fashion and its faculty prepared Aberle to step into his career with confidence.
“My experience in the fashion program prepared me for my career because my teachers have all been super helpful. They all bring their industry experience to Kent State and prepare us for what is out there,” Aberle said. “Everything I do at my job currently is all stuff that builds on top of stuff that I learned at Kent State.”
While Aberle was in Paris, he made the best of his time there by getting out into the community networking with locals. After all, it wouldn’t be so bad to one day live in the fashion capital of the world.
“I could definitely see this impact my future,” Aberle said while he was in Paris. “Who knows, one day I may live here.”
