In early June, the CWU Apparel, Textiles, and Merchandising Program will present their 21st Annual Fashion Show, featuring three ready-to-wear segments themed “Blossom is the New Black” and one segment featuring designs from twelve talent students currently taking the Fashion Line Development course. Her Campus CWU was lucky enough to catch up with a couple of student designers to preview their lines and give us a sneak peek of their designs.
Thomas Waldron, senior Apparel, Textiles, & Merchandising major, is a second year designer in this year’s show looking to show off his experience in a line that showcases modernity. Thomas says he spends at least 20 hours per week in the sewing lab working on his designs from the conceptualization all the way to a completed and cohesive line. The photo below shows Thomas and his models showcasing his line from 2016.
Miya: With one fashion show under your belt, what have you learned to make this year’s line better?
Thomas: Last year’s show taught me all of the basics of creating a line, so this year, I tried to push myself to the next level. I’m incorporating more advanced techniques into my designs to create a stronger line.
M: Where did you find inspiration for your line?
T: I got my inspiration from Palm Springs, a desert town in Southern California. I tried to incorporate elements from the mid-century modern architecture seen there into my pieces.
M: What do you find most interesting about designing?
T: I find developing the pieces and the details that go into each piece to be the most interesting part of designing. If you add even a half an inch in the wrong place on a garment, it will affect the entire fit of it. As a designer, you have to be very careful with small details like that to get the end result you are looking for.
Jacob Perry, also a senior in the program, is looking to bring his new ideas to the show as a first year designer. The relaxed vibes of skateboarding and surfing first inspired Jacob, but as time progressed, so did the complexity of his line’s theme. He describes the theme to be “really controversial,” in a sense that consumers tend to focus in on materialism. His line is based on the dispute between people and their importance of materialism.
Miya: What challenges have you faced as a first year designer?
Jacob: The biggest challenge I have faced is fighting the hypocrisy of designing when my inspiration is against materialism.
M: After getting this experience in designing, do you plan on designing after you graduate?
J: Although this year has been a great experience, I do not plan on designing after graduation because it has also brought me to the realization that it’s not what makes me happiest in this industry.
Thomas and Jacob are just two of the twelve student designers in this year’s show in addition to three segments featuring clothes from local retailers. Don’t miss the chance to see their designs come to life on June 3rd in the Milo Smith Tower Theatre. For more information on the program’s fashion show, visit the CWU Apparel, Textiles & Merchandising Facebook page and to buy tickets, visit www.cwu.edu/tickets. To stay updated on behind the scenes action of the show, follow the CWU Apparel, Textiles & Merchandising department on Instagram at @cwu_atm!