What little girl doesn’t dream of becoming an actress, a model, or a fashion designer? To tell you the truth, I do not know of many girls who never had one (or all) of those dreams at one time in her life. Here at Purdue University, the students in the Apparel Design & Technology major are making their dreams come true… one collection at a time.
Every year, the Purdue Fashion Association, a group for all students of any major who have a passion for fashion, puts on the annual spring fashion show. The fashion show showcases ADT students’, freshman to senior, designs as their models strut their stuff (and their to-die-for fashions) down the runway.
The Purdue Fashion Association, as well as all of the ADT students work all year long to put on this amazing show for Purdue students and their families. Each year, the seniors in ADT are required to make a cohesive, inspired fashion collection. This collection has to be created, patterned, constructed, and sewn all by the student designer. They spend countless hours working in the sewing lab on the second floor of Matthews, as well as scheduling multiple garment fittings with the models wearing their fashions.
This year, 28 seniors (the largest group of graduating seniors yet) showcased their senior collections. Each senior was required to make at least six garments on her own to be in the fashion show. It is at the annual fashion show that the designers get to watch their ideas and creations come to life.
After speaking with ADT seniors, Bree McVean and Alyssa Crane, I asked for a little insight on the major itself. Both girls said that many a time, their friends just expect a fashion design major to be a piece of cake or a “blow-off major.” They could not be more wrong.
“I think its safe to say we work longer hours than most all of our friends. It takes so much to design and idea, make a pattern, and then construct and fit a garment. It is hard to balance having a life with the amount of time you spend in the sewing lab,” said Bree.
“The hardest part of this major for me was time management. As a senior, you basically have to make your entire collection in your free time. So balancing school, homework, my collection and my social life was challenging. Needless to say my collection always won,” said Alyssa.
With both Bree and Alyssa being seniors in the Apparel Design & Technology major, I had to get more information on their stunning senior collections.
“My collection is titled “The Modern Pin-up”; it was inspired by flirty silhouettes of the 1950s as well as the attitudes of the pin-up models of that time. I did a lot of research on famous pinup artist like Alberto Vargas and Gil Elvgren. Barbie is also a big inspiration of mine and you can see hints of her first striped swimsuit in a few pieces in my collection,” Bree says of her collection.
Alyssa, who made a total of 10 looks for the show, not including the dress she donned for the day, got her inspiration abroad. “I had the most amazing opportunity to study abroad in London at the London College of Fashion last spring semester. I was mostly inspired by the way I felt while I was there, as well as the fact that I was transitioning into adulthood. Two of my favorite movies have always been Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan, which both happen to be of British origin. Living in London helped to make these stories come to life. I was very inspired by the beauty and imagery of fantasy and the feeling it evokes. Just like these stories I am able to create new feelings of joy, light heartedness, whimsy, and beauty through fashion.“
For those collegiette fashionistas out there, be on the lookout for Purdue Fashion Association call-outs next fall and don’t forget to go to the Purdue Fashion Show next spring. The students of the ADT major put so much hard work into making it such a magical show, you will not regret going!
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Purdue chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.