PULLMAN – Two hours before the show started, Beasley Coliseum was bustling with models sporting textile representations of space, spring and the Garden of Eden. Student fashion designers from Washington State University were putting the final touches on their collections while models were doing their hair and makeup – the culmination of months of work were coming to life.
The WSU Apparel, Merchandising, Design and Textiles College’s fashion show coincided with last week’s parents weekend, offering a showcase for seniors to put their ideas and work on the runway.
Willow Pratt, who called her design collection“Flower,” said it reflected her interest in the fashions of the 1960s and 1970s mod era, she said.
“It kind of just reflects a lot of what I like, design-wise and aesthetically,” she said, calling it an “intuitive process.”
Pratt’s collection put a spin on this era’s fashion, with a combination of everyday clothes from pastels, pleats, tartan and gingham patterns and frilly layers. It resembles a high-fashioned picnic, with springy and preppy styles.
This year’s fashion show theme was Metanoia, relating to the butterfly cycle – the act of change and becoming a better version of oneself.
“It shows my creativity and how much I’ve grown as a designer,” said Alyss Pinget, designer of the collection “Celestial.”
This year’s theme helped Pinget branch out as a designer and allowed her to try new techniques .
Her collection included her representations of Earth, the Milky Way, Saturn and the sun.
A prominent point of this collection was the pearls that appear on all of her pieces. Earth represents land, sea and air, with a blue iridescent poofy dress. The Milky Way is a flowing two-piece dark blue dress. Saturn is more muted with gold embellishments such as a crinoline and an extravagant hat. Then finally the sun, a red and gold embellished jumpsuit.
The fashion show for these designers is a send-off of their college life and a step forward in their career. For Kaya Conway, designer of the collection “Garden of Eden,” it is a new beginning.
“I have another runway ready to go to after I graduate, so that’s awesome,” Conway said. “I’m kind of, like, putting my foot forward into the runway world a little bit more with this.”
Conway said her collection is meant to show the beauty people have residing in them. She dedicated it to the most important women in her life: her mother and grandmother.
Her collection included extravagant dresses representing beauty. Some were elegant white and purple with flowing tulle and others contrasted with dark and vibrant colors.
The focal point of each dress was the stitched flowers, showing beauty can grow anywhere.
