Fashion show honors anniversary and student work

Kent State University’s Fashion School hosted its annual Fashion Show, “FS2,” Saturday in the E. Turner Stump Theatre in the Music and Speech Building.

This year, the show celebrates the Fashion School’s 30th anniversary. J.R. Campbell, director of the Fashion School, said the show is also a celebration for the students’ work.

“By the time we get to this point, it’s just cool to see it all and to see how well they’re working on stage,” he said.

Twenty-four of the 37 collections were senior fashion design majors’ collections chosen by a panel of designers to participate in the show.

“Based on the criteria, they scored each of the collections and then at the end, we got back together and made decisions about which ones would be selected,” Campbell said.

Many designers used a theme or a pattern that was present in their collections, such as Lauren Petruziello’s use of large, bright-colored hair ribbons and green, pink and blue colors in her outfits.

Matt Gilkerson, sophomore advertising major, modeled a red sweater Michelle Bing’s collection. He said the idea behind Bing’s menswear collection was a story about four friends going on a road trip together.

“Our pants are cut, like really messy,” Gilkerson said. “We’re just like really good friends, going out together, catching up after being apart for a while, coming from a lot of different backgrounds. So like the clothes are all different, but they still match in a way.”

Models Christine Lamendola, sophomore fashion merchandising major, said she was asked to participate in the show at the last minute, but she were still excited to be a part of it.

“It’s something fun for me,” Lamendola said. “I used to be a musical theatre major up until this year, and so I love being on stage.”

Lamendola said she wasn’t nervous to model the clothes on the runway, despite several other models wearing high heels and long dresses.

“You have to not let it get caught under your heels,” Lamendola, who wore a skirt, said. “That’s when you get the problems.”

“The dress, I feel, moves with it like when you put your feet forward,” Elena Rounsley, sophomore advertising major, said. “It just moves with you.”

The models displayed the different collections at a matinee show at 1 p.m. and at the awards show, where the designers will be presented with awards for their work, at 6 p.m.

Contact Alicia Balog at [email protected].