The Fashion Fête: a new name for the Spring Fashion Show

Welcome to the spring Fashion Fête. Yes, Fête. Though the Radford University Department of Interior and Fashion Design’s spring fashion show has a new name, this annual event continues to grow and is a marquee event for the department and the College of Visual and Performing Arts.

The tradition of showcasing senior fashion designers and juried pieces by fashion design majors continues March 29. The two students who are exhibiting their senior collections are Rachel Frantz and Lindsey Fox.

Frantz’s line is titled “Syreni,” which means mermaid in Latin and is inspired from recent aquatic experiences in California. “My scuba diving adventure allowed me to experience up close and personal interactions with some amazing creatures, and from that, I was able to translate some fishy features into my senior project. I was most inspired by gills, dorsal fins and the movement of stingrays.”

Fox’s collection is about creating a sophisticated, vintage look for the modern woman and of her target audience she says, “She is a professional aged 25 to 40 who wants to appear fashion forward while maintaining a classic air to her wardrobe. I was inspired by the timeless silhouettes and fabrics of the 1940s and 1950s.”

The juried portion of the show centers on selected pieces from sophomore to senior fashion design majors, whose identities remained anonymous to the selection committee. The jury was comprised of alumni from the fashion design program at RU who are currently working in the industry in New York, Los Angeles, Charlotte and Columbus, Ohio.

During the Fashion Fête the results of the first Nancy Artis Junior Fashion Design Scholarship Competition will also be revealed and modeled by Artis herself. Both she and her husband selected the scholarship winners. These are: Hannah Waldron, honorable mention; Ashleigh Wells, second place and Thomy Owens, first place. Students worked on designs beginning in September 2013 and the gowns were made during this semester.

The Fashion Fête coordination is a collaborative effort between merchandising for design majors and faculty Dr. Farrell Doss and Dr. Tammy Robinson, who provide guidance and instruction. The students prepare for the evening by completing a visual merchandising class.

“They learn about fashion show production and all of its component parts. They gain practical experience in the production of the show by modeling the design process used by their fashion and merchandising faculty to complete specific tasks,” Doss says.

Tickets for the show are $10 or $15 at the door. Tickets may be purchased at the ID&F main office in McGuffey Hall, room 211. The Fashion Fete is at the Bondurant Auditorium in Preston Hall Saturday, March 29. For more information, please call (540) 831-5386.