**photos courtesy of Photographer Bishop Chilton
A special note from DACO's Executive Director:
Dear Friends of DACO,
What an amazing night at the 2024 DACO Gala! The support our community showed was truly extraordinary, and we were thrilled to share with you the collective power of how art inspires, connects, and transforms lives.
A special thank you to everyone who contributed to this memorable evening, including Gala Producer Celeste Malvar-Stewart, the 2024 Gala Committee (including co-chairs Sarah Claypool and Lisa Wells), DACO staff, volunteers and our wonderful sponsors (see below) who made the Gala possible.
I also want to thank Shag (Josh Agle), who attended the event after traveling all the way from California to Lancaster for the Bottom’s Up weekend. Shag’s work can be seen in Bottomless Cocktail: The Art of Shag, which is currently featured in DACO’s lower gallery. If you haven't been by to see the exhibition yet, you don't want to miss this incredible opportunity!
We're also so appreciative of the other amazing artists who helped make our Gala so special, including Gay Fad Studios' Jason and David Annecy, who designed collectible, midcentury-inspired glassware exclusively for our event; fashion designers Casey Immel-Brown, Chawis Saelim, Esther Abena Sands, Logan Baldauf and Mya Staten, who created an amazing runway show; the Steve Cox Jazz Quartet, who treated us to some mid-century classics; the amazing DJ Pastel, who created the perfect ambience for the runway show; and the more than 30 models who walked the runway, featuring the show-stopping collections of the talented fashion designers. Every single artist contributed to making the event a success.
Truly,
Jason Crabill
Executive Director
The Decorative Arts Center of Ohio
What an amazing night at the 2024 DACO Gala! The support our community showed was truly extraordinary, and we were thrilled to share with you the collective power of how art inspires, connects, and transforms lives.
A special thank you to everyone who contributed to this memorable evening, including Gala Producer Celeste Malvar-Stewart, the 2024 Gala Committee (including co-chairs Sarah Claypool and Lisa Wells), DACO staff, volunteers and our wonderful sponsors (see below) who made the Gala possible.
I also want to thank Shag (Josh Agle), who attended the event after traveling all the way from California to Lancaster for the Bottom’s Up weekend. Shag’s work can be seen in Bottomless Cocktail: The Art of Shag, which is currently featured in DACO’s lower gallery. If you haven't been by to see the exhibition yet, you don't want to miss this incredible opportunity!
We're also so appreciative of the other amazing artists who helped make our Gala so special, including Gay Fad Studios' Jason and David Annecy, who designed collectible, midcentury-inspired glassware exclusively for our event; fashion designers Casey Immel-Brown, Chawis Saelim, Esther Abena Sands, Logan Baldauf and Mya Staten, who created an amazing runway show; the Steve Cox Jazz Quartet, who treated us to some mid-century classics; the amazing DJ Pastel, who created the perfect ambience for the runway show; and the more than 30 models who walked the runway, featuring the show-stopping collections of the talented fashion designers. Every single artist contributed to making the event a success.
Truly,
Jason Crabill
Executive Director
The Decorative Arts Center of Ohio
Thank you to all of our sponsors!
We are grateful to all the sponsors of the 2024 DACO Gala. These sponsors not only allow us to put on this fantastic event, but will also help support our arts education programming and community partnerships for students of all ages and abilities, our world-class exhibition program, and long-term investment in the Decorative Arts Center of Ohio.
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor for the 2025 DACO Gala, please contact Jason Crabill at 740-681-1423 or [email protected]
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor for the 2025 DACO Gala, please contact Jason Crabill at 740-681-1423 or [email protected]
Meet the 2024 DACO Gala Designers
Casey Immel-Brown is a fashion designer based in Columbus, Ohio whose work has been featured in print, runway, television and gallery shows. Utilizing classic couture and tailoring techniques, he focuses on creating pieces which convey a subversive, transgressive form of elegance.
The goal of his clothing is to allow the wearer to use fashion as a tool for self-actualization, and to navigate the world feeling like the truest version of themselves. To this end, his design philosophy revolves around bringing to the fore the elements of our internal lives that we are traditionally taught to suppress in most contexts. Having begun his design career by founding Mater Dolorosa, a brand focused on wearable luxury leather accessories, his expertise in leatherwork has also carried over into his eponymous clothing line. Many of Casey's pieces incorporate wet-molding and traditional saddlery techniques to allow entire outfits to be created from tougher, more durable varieties of tooling leather which are otherwise rarely used in clothing manufacture. His collections often leverage his formal training in jewelry design, both in the inclusion of handmade accessories, and in garments which feature custom closures and elaborate metal and stone details. |
Chawis Saelim was born and raised in Bangkok, Thailand, moving to Columbus, OH in 2012. He is a skilled pattern-maker and tailor, and holds a BFA in Fashion Design from Columbus College of Art and Design. Having initially focused on fine art and photography, Chawis took up fashion design out of the desire to create clothing which conveys a deep sense of feeling and emotion.
Along with fellow artist and designer Logan Baldauf, he curated the 2023 show “After the Flesh”, combining art, fashion and photography into a single gallery experience. Taking influence from Japanese fashion designers, he sees the extraordinary in imperfection and deconstruction. His work incorporates the methodologies and aesthetic perspectives of cubism and expressionist art, often reducing garment designs down to their base shapes and geometric forms. As an artist, Chawis strives to always push himself to greater heights, continually innovating while staying true to his artistic vision. |
Esther Abena Sands is a Ghanaian American designer. Early exposure to diverse cultures in film and art as a child helped shape a love of stories and fashion. As her passion and curiosity for learning grew, she became self-taught through observation, experimentation and practice. As an adolescent, she would sit in the market, watching cobblers and seamstresses work and craft.
After relocating to the United States as a teen, Esther became exposed to the creative aesthetics of cosplay. A way to bring stories from movies, anime and video games to life through character interpretation. Her work is filled with cultural, traditional, movie and anime inspirations. She believes we are all heroes of our own cinematic universes and what we wear everyday is an interpretation of where we’ve been, where we are, where we are going and of our life experiences. Clothing can be a representation of self and of individuality. |
Logan Baldauf is a designer originally from West Virginia who moved to Columbus to study fashion and experience the expanding art scene.
In the last few years he has bridged the gap in his mediums to develop a style that showcases all aspects of his love for art and fashion design alike, with references and research coming from both fields interchangeably. In 2023 he co-collaborated an exhibition with Chawis Saelim to showcase their shared ideas on art and fashion through a display of photography, clothing, and illustrations. |
Mya Lucille Staten, born in 2001 in Lancaster, Ohio, is a rising designer who holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Columbus College of Art & Design.
Mya's upbringing in Sugar Grove, a small town, fueled her desire to explore new things. Her interest in fashion grew significantly once she began experimenting with beading. Finding a unique and inventive approach to elevate beading to the next level and to challenge the “norm” . Mya really enjoys the contrast of textiles and acrylic beads allowing for something beautiful to unravel. |