Photos by Coco Wang
“One of the loveliest parts of clothing design is how evocative it can be without conveying any articulable message. It’s a distilled type of aestheticism, operating in moods and daydreams,” said sophomore Clara Houghteling.
Tuesday night saw Project Runway star Mondo Guerra take the stage in Reid Arena to talk about his career and passion for fashion. After the hour-long question and answer session, student designers took over the runway to showcase original lines.
From a skirt made of rubber ducks to vintage inspired dresses, to futuristic space-queen garments, each line was unique.
Clara Houghteling’s models were the first to take the stage.
In terms of creative process, Houghteling says she sees the design in “small flashes—a line or an embellishment.”
“I don’t really follow fashion; my muses are rather vague,” Houghteling said. “I work in terms of moods and imagined places.”
During school breaks Houghteling spends her time designing and creating clothing. “I had already designed and patterned a ‘30s-inspired evening gown over Winter Break,” she said. “When I heard about the show, I decided to create a complementary line.”
Houghteling’s line for the fashion show was inspired by vintage designs. “This particular line is modeled according to the sumptuous, jazzy aesthetics of the late 1920s and ‘30s, and my palette and materials emphasize the fashion’s sensual potential.” Her line particularly uses flesh tones and lace to “blur the line between body and cloth.”
Every piece in her line was designed, patterned, cut, and sewn by Houghteling.
“Of course, all of [the] effort is invisible in my pieces. The long hours, the pricked fingers, the frustration, the lost sleep—none of it shows, but it’s all sewn into the garment. Designing and sewing seems so easy, but lots of hard work go into making a design look effortless.”
She described the fashion show as “a happy bit of serendipity.”
While most of the organizational work took place in the past couple weeks for the event, junior Jesse Swedlund said that he began making some of his pieces as early as December. Despite struggling to find students confident enough to walk the runway, he was pleased with the final product.
Swedlund keeps a blog to stay inspired. “I’ll find images and materials that I find especially compelling and then sketch out different designs until I find ones that I feel are worth pursuing.”
And materials took precedent in this line: taking inspiration from the grunge eras of the ‘70s and ‘90s, Swedlund’s pieces incorporated unconventional materials. His favorite piece is a slip dress constructed out of 2,500 safety pins.
All proceeds from the fashion show were donated to the Southern Colorado AIDS Project. This organization provides meals, programs, and support for those diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.