“What would happen if we left our heart on stage every time we created anything? It’s a bust your ass to shine, honest to a fault, no bullshit, zero apology performance. If you look at the work of some of the most successful people in the world, you’ll see it as the undertone. It isn’t just something they do, it’s who they are. It’s the kind of performance where your heart and soul bleed.” — Srinivas Rao, The Art of Being Unmistakable

With this year's commencement theme of authentic transformation, we are excited to select and commission CCA alumnus Kim Xuan Pham (BFA 2019) to create a wearable artifact that speaks to their identity, craft, and time at CCA.

This year's video documents the process of Kim mentoring a select group of graduating students as they create their own wearable artifact for this year's ceremonies.

Kim Xuan Pham (BFA 2019)

Kim Xuan Pham is a San Francisco-based apparel designer. She was born in Vietnam and moved to the U.S. in her early years.

As a first-generation college student, she attended California College of the Arts, majoring in fashion design with a minor in visual studies. During that time, she learned to be a multifaceted artist, exploring textiles, critical studies, and the journey of navigating what it means to be herself.

As an acknowledgment of her upbringing, she grounds her craft in the familiarity of her heritage, memories, and the vulnerability that comes with it. Kim was a part of the Copenhagen Global Fashion Agenda Sustainability Program in 2018. The educational platform that gave a voice to the next generation of talents to speak about the industry's impacts and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

While still harnessing her authentic creative process, Kim experiences what life is like as a working designer and a cat mom! Currently, Kim designs womenswear for Athleta and previously for Banana Republic. She spends her free time collecting cookbooks, testing out new recipes, and reading webtoons. Kim is passionate about cultivating and learning from a community that supports one’s creative journey from all walks of life.