Fashioning a Future

A sketch from Ursuline student Hannah Welsch’s "Pretty Woman" collection, done in brocade and cotton fabrics in shades of black, pink, silver, white and lime.

Students get ready to graduate to the world of fashion

In fashion, things culminate on the runway: the inspiration, the months of work, the yes-no-yes of decisionmaking and second-guessing, model selection and final fittings. Designers stake their seasons, and sometimes their careers, on favorable reviews from prominent editors and fashion journalists.

For a designer who’s just starting out, the runway is the first step in a yet-untested career. Get a glimpse at what northeast Ohio fashion students do to prepare for the runway to reality.

Ursuline students display sketches and fabric selection for their upcoming collections. Students describe their target customers and other details, such as price point and retail outlets, along with their garments.

Color plays an important role in fashion – more than just a matter of personal preference, color evokes seasons, emotions and the personality of the customer.

A sketch from HannahWelsch’s "Pretty Woman" collection. Welsch says that her customer is "beautiful, smart and self-confident."

Anne-Marie Gurko (foreground) and Susan Peters (background) work on their garments.

Anne-Marie Gurko works on her collection at Ursuline. Her customer profile is an "educated woman who likes to have fun."

Ebony Bailey gets up close with one of her designs. Pattern-making, sewing and fitting are all perfected prior to putting the garment on a real model.

Rachele Divelbliss works on the details of a gown for her collection,called "Ravishing Rose." The garments were inspired by the beauty of the female form and feature black Chantilly lace, sequins and gems.

Ursuline College’s spring fashion show, Innovations ’08, will be held April 27 at 2 p.m. in the college’s Matthew J. O’Brien Athletic Center in Pepper Pike. The event is open to the public and will feature more than 50 original designs for women and children, all created by Ursuline students. For details and ticket information, call 440-646-8142.

Kent State University’s school of fashion design and merchandising will host the annual Portfolio fashion show on April 26 and 27. For ticket prices and information, call 330-672-3010.

On April 14th, tune to Around Noon on 90.3 FM WCPN to join a lively discussion of fashion trends with Kim Crow, Mary Davis, and William Perrine.On April 24th at 7:30pm watch a showcase of local clothing designers on WVIZ/PBS’ Applause. For more information, visit www.wcpn.org or www.wviz.org.

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