SU’s fashion design program hosts annual fashion show

As soon as the faculty finished welcoming everyone to the show, electronic music started playing, building suspense for the first collection to be shown. The first collection of the afternoon ended up being Isabelle Collins’ “A Natural Sanctuary.” The collection was inspired by gothic architecture and nature, with the colorful collection featuring sheer silk fabrics reminiscent of light filtering through stained glass. 

The music slowly transitioned as a new student collection emerged on the L-shaped runway. The models walked slowly with poise and conviction, allowing the audience to admire the intricate details of each design while also giving life to each of them. At the end of each walk, the model would step off the runway straight into a photoshoot set where a photographer took a final picture of the design. 

The 2022 senior fashion design program consisted of 17 students, featuring over 100 individual looks. Each collection transitioned seamlessly to the next, leaving the audience in awe of each designer’s skills and brilliance. The collections explored different styles and motifs from space surrealism to life and death. 

At the end of the show, each student walked the runway next to one of their models to the Black Eyed Peas’ “Let’s Get It Started.” The audience cheered and clapped as they got to see the people responsible for orchestrating such unique collections. 

Audience member Desmond Tracey shared his excitement as he came to support his girlfriend. 

“I just wanted to see some fire clothes from my girl and all the other seniors,” Tracey said. “It’s crazy how they made all these things.” 

Jeffrey Mayer ended the event by announcing the recipients of five senior awards. The first award, Outstanding Fashion Design Student, was given to Emily Goldberg for her collection “Through Rose-Tinted Glasses.” This collection featured bold colors, organic shapes, and dramatic structures, taking inspiration from space-age surrealism and finding balance and beauty in the unexpected. 

Goldberg also won the highest award of the night, the Elisa Ribatt Memorial Prize for Outstanding and Deserving Senior in Design. 

The next award, Sustainability in Fashion Design, was given to Yianni Biniaris for his “international helter-skelter” collection. This collection was fully biodegradable and incorporated European linens, Spanish leather, fabrics collected from Biniari’s grandmother’s village in Cyprus and self-grown bioplastics and mycelium. 

Calla Kremidas received the award Excellence in Fashion Design Award for Digital Print Technology. Kremidas’ collection was inspired by her own childhood designs and included elements of bright pastel colors, custom printed fabrics, hand-crafted macrame, and laser-cut leather. 

The award for Excellence in Design Print and Textile Manipulation was given to Grace Losey for her “Neuro Status” collection. The collection centered on the human body’s ability of perception and sensation which the designer highlighted through the use of different fabric techniques mimicking pulsating veins, body movements, and neuron configurations. 

Lastly, the Outstanding Sportswear Collection award was given to Madison Meyer for her “FACES” collection. The collection featured oversized garments delicately decorated with silly faces and featured techniques such as patchwork, layering, and appliqué.  

The night ended with Emily Goldberg delivering a speech thanking the staff and faculty in the room. At the end of her speech, everyone came together to congratulate the designers and left the show full of high energy and inspiration. Some audience members, such as health and exercise science senior Pat Romero, shared their experiences of the show. 

“It was actually my first fashion, so I was actually very happy,” Pomero said. “It was very well put together. I loved it. My favorite part of the show was seeing my two boys model because they’re not really model people, but they did their thing.”