Gowns, pea-coats and blazers were some of the highlighted trends featured on the runway that looked to be creations of couture designers. However, they were not pieces by high-end designers, but were created by university students of the Synergy Fashion Group.
Last Saturday the Trabant Multipurpose rooms were transformed into a runway reminiscent of Fashion Week for the annual Synergy Fashion Show, with more than 800 people in attendance. Families, students and faculty came to support the collections from 29 seniors who are all graduating.
The show also featured open and blank canvas submissions, which allows a chance for sophomores and juniors to showcase designs.
Liz Way, president of Synergy Fashion Group, said her job was to organize the fashion show, from calling modeling agencies to contacting judges. She said the point of the group is solely to put on the show in the spring.
"This year we had an extensive number of collections to feature," Way said. "It really showed the strength of the program here at UD and also showed the growth of the show that it continues to make."
In order to help fund the fashion show, Synergy held a fundraiser in the fall by selling care packages for parents to send to apparel design and fashion merchandising students.
Way said it is during that time when seniors take a collections class, where they design their pieces for a series.
"Students in the collection class are to sketch a 10-piece collection and then they narrow it down to three or four pieces that they ultimately want to create," she said.
Four judges helped determine who would be awarded monetary prizes in the excellence of design and creation of the clothing. Three winners were selected from each category - blank canvas, open submission and the collections.
Jessica Bennett, whose collection featured draped silk and wool tailoring, won first place in collections and third place in blank canvas. Bennett, whose collection was titled, "Structural Purity," said her inspiration came from a painting by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, a prominent figure of the mid-19th century Pre-Raphaelite period.
"The piece had many contrasts of nature and purity versus the dirty, city structures of the Industrial Revolution," Bennett said. "My collection shows the juxtaposition of those ideals and also highlighted the delicate elements."
She said she researched the handiwork movement after the Pre-Raphaelite period, which inspired the hand-stitched designs in her work. Bennett said she has been sewing for 15 years and made her first outfit when she was six years old.
"My grandmother taught me how to sew and eventually how to tailor as well," she said. "I really mastered my skills through her."
Bennett said she was involved with 4-H camps in Maryland, which was where she first publicly exhibited her garments. She said she realized then she wanted to go into fashion design.
"I loved the aspect of being creative, especially when it came to clothing," Bennett said.
She said she interned at several fashion houses in New York City. From interning, Bennett said she gained exposure in product development, allowing her to build her skills in design. She said she hopes to end up in New York City designing women's wear and sportswear.
Bennett said she feels it is rewarding to design practical clothing.
"I enjoy creating innovative and unique designs," she said. "But with that, I want to make a structure that is suitable for everyday wear."
The main trademark in her designs is attention to detail, Bennett said.
"All my pieces have little details that I think through while I create it," she said. "I try to make all my designs and pieces complement each other."
Senior Tiffany Rogers, second-place winner of collections, said she knew her one passion in life was always fashion.
"Junior and senior year of high school I took fashion classes at another high school since they didn't offer any at mine," Rogers said. "I realized that I didn't like anything else but fashion."
Now, Rogers, whose collection was titled "Pastiche Americana," gets influence for her ideas through news and pop culture. Inspired by current events, Rogers incorporated a social commentary on the war in Iraq, the presidential campaign and Britney Spears into her designs.
"The War in Iraq inspired the military aspects of my design, while the presidential election inspired me to use donkeys and elephants," she said. "I made the donkeys vary in colors and design to show the diversity within the Democrats."
The Britney Spears idea was taken from the fact that Spears has become a negative role model, Rogers said. She said she mixed provocative and conservative features to create contrasting ideas in her collection.
Rogers said her silhouette was influenced by the Edwardian period - a time known for high collars, pleating and big sleeves, and combined it with her social commentary to make a unique collection.
"I try to mix those things with bright colors and use embellishments," she said. "I usually do not use prints in my design and instead experiment with handwork."
Rogers said she tried out for Bravo's "Project Runway" this past spring, and plans on trying out again next year. She said she came to the university for their skating and fashions programs, and plans to intern at Tracy Reese, a women's wear designing company, this summer in New York City.
"I eventually would like to open my own design house one day," Rogers said. "My ultimate dream is to have a show at fashion week."
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