Annual fashion show allowed students to showcase their professional designs
It was 10 minutes before eight and the gym lobby was already filled with parents, students and teachers eager to enjoy the coming hour as each minute passed. The camera and lights crews took their places and models made last minute preparations backstage.
Suddenly, the outer lights dimmed, leaving a spotlight for Fashion Club advisor Jodi Johnson and officers senior Aileen Le and Heejoo Kim. Colorful lights of pink, blue and white surrounded them and the long black stage completed the picture. It was as if the runway came directly off of a magazine. After some motivational words, the long-awaited fashion show began.
At once, the mood was set with the first song "Shooting Star" by LMFAO, when designs made by sophomores Kathleen Chang and Emily Wang were featured. The music was upbeat and carefully chosen with each model strutting out according to the rhythm. The first outfit, a black and white laced dress with a distinct shape, put the audience in awe and amazement of the capability of a high school student.
For every song, either two designers showcased their works or one designer showed a collection. Senior Michelle Chow showcased her own collection for the entire second song, "Sour Cherry" by The Kills. What inspired her were old t-shirts that she didn’t want to wear. Those tees were cut and sewn into something completely different and "wear-able", according to Chow.
Other collections were by sophomores Danielle Chandler ("Blame it on the Pop" by DJ Earworm), Katerina Zorko ("Evacuate the Dance Floor" by Cascada) and Helen Han ("Here I Am" by David Morales), Le ("Good Girls Go Bad" by Cobra Starship) and Kim ("Love Don’t Let Me Go" by David Guetta). Each collection had its own style and the audience learned more about it when the designers gave introductions of their collections right before the showing. For Le, it was the "simple things in life" that inspired her, while for Han it was monotone colors and asymmetrical shapes, because "perfection is overrated".
Not only were all the designs and collections professional, each model also walked the platform with confidence. Some girls even made humorous gestures at the end of the walk, lightening up the spirit and giving the audience a laugh.
Though some designers may not have taken as much time as others to make their clothes, the intricacy of each article of clothing was obviously carefully attended to. All the effort into making the show paid off.
The annual fashion show came to a close smoothly for the audience, the models and the designers. Creative ideas transformed into woven, decorated and sewn clothes whether it was the summer styled floral skirts or the formal prom-esque dresses. It was the students’ own kind of art, the art of high caliber. And all of that was just on the high school fashion runway.
