This past Monday, Strike hosted their runway show in the FSU Student Union Ballroom. Originally founded at Florida State University (FSU) in 2017, Strike is the largest student-run fashion and culture publication nationwide. Strike’s mission is to create and inspire artistic communities on college campuses. This spring, our very own chapter is releasing their Issue 13. Editor-in-Chief Tabitha Labrato, creative director Abby Marcil, and the rest of the Strike team outdid themselves in their recent fashion show.
Brand Ambassador Director and model, Kayla Crooks, was stunning on the runway. She is a junior at FSU and has been working on Strike for about a year and a half.
Her Campus (HC): When did you first become involved in Strike?
Kayla Crooks (KC): I joined the spring semester of 2022, so last spring!
HC: What made you interested in becoming a part of Strike?
KC: I was working on another magazine at the time, Diverse World Fashion (DWF), and absolutely loved it. I loved the work I was doing and wanted to get involved more. I kept hearing about Strike and was intrigued. Everyone knew about it, and everyone wanted to join.
HC: What is your experience like working with them?
KC: Working with Strike had been nothing short of amazing. Everyone is so kind, especially the other directors. It truly feels like a family. Every day I wake up excited to see what Strike is doing next because everyone is so creative and talented.
HC: What was your favorite part of the most recent runway show?
KC: My favorite part of the spring runway was my look for sure! My good friend Lauren Vives was my stylist, so it was extremely fun to work with her. She’s so insanely talented and made it all out of belts.
HC: Who from the Strike team was responsible for putting this production together?
KC: The amazing runway team is responsible! (You can look on the staff list for exact names)
HC: Can you tell us more about the look you were styled in?
KC: My look consisted entirely of belts. We did 13 belts for the 13th issue of Strike! It was also an homage to Julia Fox — she inspired this look. Lauren (my stylist) went to Goodwill and bought a bunch of really cool belts. She dumped them all on the table, looked at me, and said, “This is what you’re wearing.” My only response was, “f*ck yeah” From there, we played around with a bunch of them. On the day of the show, we used shorts and a cut-up mini-skirt to safety pin the belts on the bottom!
HC: What are you most excited about in the upcoming release of issue 13?
KC: I’m excited for the release. Many directors and friends are graduating, so I’m looking forward to reading their directors’ notes and having a chance to say goodbye. I think the release party will be like a goodbye party in a way. It’ll be very sweet.
I’m also excited about the magazine, of course. Being the first school to reach issue 13 is an insane feat!
Thanks to Kayla for giving us insight into what goes down behind the scenes at Strike Magazine and be on the lookout for the release date of Issue 13!
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