Senior Fashion Designers to Debut Collections in Annual Fashion Show

On April 25, senior fashion design students from the College of Visual and Performing Arts will debut their final collections in their annual fashion show in Schine Student Center’s Goldstein Auditorium. There will be two shows, a matinee at 12:30 p.m. and an evening show at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are on sale in the Schine Box Office. Matinee tickets are $6. The evening show floor seats are $30 and $20 for balcony seating. Students with an SU I.D. and senior citizens can purchase balcony seats for $15.

Twenty-seven designers will showcase collections, each consisting of six pieces. No two collections are alike, and the show will feature a variety of inspirations, including elements of grotesque and nature, among others. For senior designer Larissa Callahan, the idea behind her collection came from a dream she had about floating in a hot air balloon. Air is now the focal point of her collection, “Inhale Exhale.”

“I wanted to do something that represented myself. I am imaginative, so when this idea popped into my head it seemed right. I have always had an open mind and wanted to represent my playful side,” Callahan says.

Nearly 60 student models were recruited for the show. The models were found through online advertisement and modeling recruitment events in the Schine Student Center. Clinique will be doing the makeup for the show.

While the designers are all looking forward to the show, many of them have deemed the design process a “labor of love” because of the long, rigorous hours they have put into their collections. According to senior designer Casey Winston, the process has been a stressful one.

“One minute I’m extremely excited about it, but then another minute I feel let down if something isn’t perfect,” Winston says. “When it comes together, I will be proud to say I went from nothing to something and that I will have created something that was my vision.”

Callahan agrees that designing is not always easy. “It is hard to have personal things judged. However, we need to get used to it because we are graduating. It’s important to stand strong if something is important to you. It’s a hard balance,” she says.

Several fashion designers and retail experts will be in attendance at the evening show. They will serve as judges to determine which designers’ pieces will appear at a fashion show in New York City later this year. Past guests have included Oscar de la Renta, Henry Grethel, Tommy Hilfiger, Mary McFadden, Nicole Miller and Russell Simmons, among others.

Following the show, all of the designers will select their favorite pieces to be on display in Armory Square’s XL Projects. XL Projects will host an after party the night of the fashion show, beginning at midnight. The event will feature live models, a DJ and refreshments. The event is free and open to the public and is located at 307-314 South Clinton St. Connective Corridor buses will run from the Schine Student Center to Armory Square the night of the event. The pieces will remain on display at the site throughout the weekend.

While the designers are in the final days of polishing their collections, some are already looking forward to the road ahead. “The more I see what design is, I want to work for a company that is forward thinking and does forward design and is more interested in the design aspect than the money making aspect of the whole business,” senior designer Ron Coraizaca says.

While some designers are stressed about finding a job, others, like Winston, already know exactly where they will be after graduation,

“I am already hired to work as a buyer for Saks Fifth Avenue. My main goal is to be in the industry and to spend time around beautiful clothing. I aspire to make things that I picture being in Saks or Neiman’s, so working there is going to be a great experience. Once I have more experience, I will go back to design,” Winston says.

Although they may not all know exactly where they want to live and work next year, all of the seniors can agree that fashion is the place for them. “I’ve wanted to be a designer since I was 12,” senior designer Lizzie Rosin says. “I think fashion is an expression of art that everyone can relate to and everyone is a part of—you get dressed everyday.”

VPA Fashion Show from Syracuse University News on Vimeo.