ARTS

ARTS| 16 Bowens paves way to fashion industry

Theresa Vandis ’22

Business Manager

National Geographic Magazines from the 1980’s are cut up and layered over one another to assemble a collage. That pattern is then laid on top of paper croquis (diagrams of people) to help visualize the patterns on a human frame. The patchwork is then reshaped once more to create a tangible design of clothing through free drawing. This is just one of Eliza Bowens ’22 fashion projects in which she has drawn inspiration from the ordinary everyday object and her desire to enter the fashion world at a young age. fashion design in seventh grade,” Bowens said. “I did a summer dress, a simple white plain pencil dress. It cater to the demands required of her in order to work competitively in the fashion industry. “If you can’t draw, then you can’t pursue design,” Bowens said. “You have to be able to be good at drawing,” Bowens said. “That’s why I have taken all of the art classes here, so that I can advance my skills.” In addition to taking select courses at Staples, Bowens has taken the precaution of building her portfolio since freshman year. As Bowens has high aspirations of pursuing fashion as a career, she is applying to a variety of fashion schools in locations including Florence, London, Belgium, Dublin and Paris, as well as Parsons School of Design, a top fashion design school in the United States which she has already been accepted to with a partial scholarship. She ultimately hopes to study in Europe, however, because of her ache to travel and experience other cultures. “I know that I would be good at hopping from place to place,” Bowens said. “I’m hoping to get an internship in Florence or Paris, and then hopefully get a job somewhere in Europe where the fashion capitals are.” As Bowens is on track to graduate this year, she acknowledges that her high school experience differs from many of her peers. She has advice for incoming freshmen and lowerclassmen who may be dealing with hesitations or are skeptical of straying from what is normalized. “If you have a passion, then I would say to follow it instead of doing things because everyone else is doing them,” Bowens said. “It just wastes your time.”

had crosses in the back, and there was a cape, too.” Bowens continued to pursue her interest in fashion design because it offered her something that other forms of artistic expression could not. “I found pleasure in painting and drawing, but I never really felt like I could express myself to my fullest,” Bowens said. “With fashion, I see myself having a future in it. [The art form] has a kind of class and luxury to it that a lot of art forms don’t tend that a lot of art forms don’t tend to have.” to have.” BowBow- “I feel like clothing ens’ dedication to ens’ dedication to can make you feel her passion her passion really powerful, but can be seen can be seen it can also make you four to feel really weak.” Eliza Bowens ’22week after school at the New England Fashion and Design Association (NEFDA) in Norwalk. There, she designs and constructs collections with the guidance of her teachers. “I feel like clothing can make you feel really make you feel really powerful, but it can powerful, but it can also make you feel also make you feel really weak. That’s really weak. That’s why I wear such why I wear such colorful things.” colorful things.” Instead of falling into the coming into the common trend at Stamon trend at Staples of loading up ples of loading up on Honors and on Honors and A.P. courses, BowA.P. courses, Bow with classes that will with classes that will

can make you feel really powerful, but it can also make you the New England Fashion and

ing to a variety of fashion schools in locations infeel really weak.” cluding Florence, London, Belgium, Dublin and Paris,

A WORLD OF FABRIC

Eliza Bowens ’22 experiments with a variety of materials in making her designs come to life. said. “It just wastes your time.”

DESIGNER AT WORK

Bowens works on her drawing skills, sketching designs that she then turns into unique pieces to be modeled.

Photos contributed by Eliza Bowens ’22