SHOW TIME

THE FUTURE OF FASHION IS IN OUR BACKYARD STORY:

clothes her peers often wore, so she made her own or remixed hand-medowns to create a unique style. Now she calls her fashion aesthetic “a sweet spot between street wear and avant-garde” and has vowed never to make the same piece twice. “I will never participate in fast fashion or try to merchandise my designs,” she says. “I’m about the performance and the art, plus, I am passionate about sustainability. By making custom items, I’ll never make anything that people will throw away.” Her fivepiece collection for the show, “Daze of the Week,” served as a retrospective of her life and showcased looks inspired by her time in high school, her military education and her current fashion design education.

education. He says being a successful fashion designer is his Plan A, B and C. “Fashion gives an identity to the person wearing the garment. Fashion has been at the center of every major movement in this country, and the impact fashion has on the community is what inspires me as a designer,” he says. A junior, Coleman is in a constant state of designing and says it took roughly three weeks to create the five looks he presented in the show while also juggling his finals and college life. “My collection was called ‘Overflow’ because it was overflowing with joy,” he says. “In general, I’m a designer who gravitates toward sparkly, brightly colored, joyful material.” He’s also a designer with lofty goals. In five years, Coleman says, “I’ll be living in Paris with my own fashion house.”

As a Muslim fashion designer, Abukar’s goal is laser focused: to turn the modest fashion industry on its head. “Modest dresses never change,” she says. “They’re all a big, oversized piece of fabric with no style. I want to make modest but fashionable clothes that hug people’s skin and make women feel beautiful inside and out without having to compromise their beliefs.” Abukar was born in Somaliland and grew up in Turkey. She lived in Maine prior to coming to AIA and won the Miss Muslimah USA pageant in 2020. Her first fashion design was her prom dress, and she wants to empower Hijabi women like herself by making formal wear from pageant wear to bridal gowns. Her five-piece collection of couture prom gowns was called “Ummah,” which means “a nation.” Once she graduates, Abukar wants to show a collection of high fashion hijabs at Paris Fashion Week and ultimately helm Valentino’s Couture fashion house. n

Skin Gym WrinkLit LED ($99)

Light emitting diode or LED masks are all the rage for beauty junkies. This one looks like something out of a sci-fi flick, but it’s actually a simple way to achieve your skincare goals. It offers three modes: blue light to reduce and heal breakouts, orange light to brighten up a dull complexion and red light for anti-aging and to reduce redness. Simply charge it using a USB, use it wirelessly wherever you are and relax for 15 to 30 minutes while this slim device works its magic.

Ulta • ulta.com • @ultabeauty