Spark Magazine No. 3 - Senior Design 2015: Fusion

FUSION 2015

TIFFANY CHAN Editor-in-Chief Art Director DANIELLE FENSON Creative Director MAX LA Writing Director KATHERINE KYKTA Head Photographer EDMUND FUNG Head HMUA PAYGE WILKINSON FUSION Staff 2015

Rachelle Allen Johana Carrizales Whitney Chen Jose Cruz Maiya Evans Debby Garcia Lauren Hodges Hira Jethwa Erin Kuykendall Claire Kwak Tiffani Le

Veronica Lozano Karan Mahendroo Priyunka Maheshwari Sujata Narayana Melina Perez Naami Phanchaiya Kalpana Satish Rachel Spross Gabriela Tan Maria Torres Ellie Wendland

Special Thank You to Senior Headshots Photographer Daniel Hublein

8 DAKOTA BATCH 14 ROS BELLENGER 20 SEUNGKI CHO 24 ANDREA FERNANDEZ 28 COURTNEY GILMORE 32 BILLIE GREEN 38 TEDI INFANTE 44 EUN KO 48 CLAIRE KWAK 52 CHERYL LAM 58 KARA LECHTENBERGER 62 SEIHAK LONG 68 CANDACE MCKINNEY 72 CARISSA MELENDEZ 76 IDA NEMATIPOUR 80 MARY BETH NEWTON 84 LILLIE NOE 90 ALYSSA REAVIS 94 SHELBY SMITH 98 TINA TRAN 104 LEONIE VERSTEEG 110 KAT WANG UFG PRESIDENT 115 ART DIRECTOR 116 DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS 117 HEAD OF SHOW PRODUCTION 118 MODEL COORDINATOR 119 DIRECTORS OF SOCIAL MEDIA 120

BACKSTAGE

DESIGNERS

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SANDY AN

Sandy began her academic career at the University of Texas as a biology major. At the end of her sophomore year she had a “life crisis” when she realized that biology was not something she wanted to do every day for the rest of her life. She began her journey to becoming a design major by taking Professor Ockhee’s My Little Black Dress design class. It was there that she realized she wanted to become an apparel design major.

Although she is from Plano, Texas, Sandy’s place of birth, Seoul, Korea, is her greatest inspiration because of the affordability to recreate high fashion styles at low prices. Another source of inspiration for Sandy are her parents. “They let me realize that perseverance does not fail you and if you give it your best it will not give up on you”, says Sandy. She uses her parents’ struggles of living in a foreign country as a reminder to keep going even when she feels like giving up. “It makes me realize that behind this wall of hardship waits happiness”.

Sandy’s collection, Pastel Lines, draws inspiration from her desire to expand the availability of men’s wear by incorporating feminine lines and colors into her garments. “I personally love to mix men’s wear in my own personal style. I think that the contrasting combination gives a flattering look.” At the current moment Sandy’s favorite designer is Phillip Lim. His use of colors and line creates standout fashion in a rather mundane industry. Though that use of color and line made Mr. Lim one of Sandy’s favorite designers, it is the designs themselves that attracted Sandy to him. The need to be inven-

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tive and expansive in her fashion has made perforated pleather Sandy’s top choice of design fabric. “I always love working with structured fabrics. I feel like I can create art on the body.”

Likening the body to a sort of architecture Sandy’s choice to combine feminine elements into male clothing is definitely a sight to see.

Fashion takes on a different meaning to everyone. For Sandy fashion is a way to escape. “I have many ideas and thoughts consistently going through my head. Sometimes it’s extra hard to be a peace because every little thing that happens expands into a four hour thought that goes on and on.” Art allows Sandy to find her peace. Fashion and art are Sandy’s way to vent her frustrations, worries and troubles. All of Sandy’s life experiences have allowed her to see fashion’s huge influence on society. Because of the way in which she was treated differently because of the way she presented herself, Sandy hopes that her clothing will create confidence in those who wear them.

So what will Sandy be up to ten years from now? “I see myself owning a label, designing my life story in garments.” On the hand, however, she would also like to manage a product development company while attending different sorts of couture sewing classes from all around the world. Finally, what trend would Sandy like to see gone? “I wish bell-bottom pants would disappear.” Don’t we all?

Photographer: Hira Jethwa, Model: Katherine Horak, HMUA: Maiya Evans & Rachel Spross, Writer: Rachelle Allen

DAKOTA BATCH

Dakota Batch is from Odessa in west Texas. She says there was not anything about her town that leading her towards design. However, when she was 12 years old, her mother made her join a sewing class that her friend was teaching for about 2-3 months every Saturday. As a 12 year old all she wanted do is sleep in or watch TV, but she had to get up every Saturday to sit with women 50 years+ older than me and learn how to make quilts. She can see now that this is where her interest in sewing came from. It also, not surprisingly, got her comfortable talking with people that were years older than her.

She didn’t pick up sewing again until my senior year of high school, but that class did instill in her a sense of workmanship.

Her mother continues to play a huge role in the way she views the world and subsequently fashion as well. Her mother taught her to always view things from a different angle or viewpoint; that is, when you see it from all sides and can grow and learn.

Never being stagnant, constantly growing and searching for more. Dakota now thinks about the bigger picture in fashion; she does not want to just create something beautiful, but she wants to change ones perspective about an issue, while looking at something fabulous.

Right now, her biggest inspiration is different cultures. She went to India for a study abroad last summer and her view on the world was completely changed. She believes living in America shuts us off to so many great cultures because a lot of people want the “American Way”. While in India, she realized she was in a country that was older, by thousands of years, than the U.S. It has such rich history that she feels like, by getting out of her bubble she was able to tap into and loved it.

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Her love of cultures shows through in her designs. Her wedding dress collection is called Maharani, which is Queen in Hindi. She got her inspiration from the Indian Wedding Sari.

She wanted to create a dress for the 2nd or 3rd generation Indian woman, that was born and raised in America who still wants to incorporate the strong Indian culture in her dress.

I was inspired by henna and the way it looks like lace on the skin., as well as arches, which are heavily prevalent in Indian architecture. For Dakota’s three piece collection she was inspired by the Massai tribe, who are located in Tanzania and Kenya. Her collection is centered on the Fair Trade fabrics as well as beads that she sourced from different companies. She wanted to not only create a beautiful garment, but give back and create awareness of Fair Trade companies in the process.

Dakota realized apparel design was the right major for her when she knew she put more effort, time, and care into the plain white knit tee-shirt she was making for class than her essays and homework for other classes. Granted, every year is a growing process for her, because in the beginning she wanted to be a break out designer, then the next year she was more interested in working for a ready to wear fashion line like Gap or Old Navy. Every day is a growing process, right now it is more about getting her feet wet in a lot of different areas of the fashion world, then she will really figure out what is right for her.

She plans on moving to NYC after graduation in May, for an internship with a design house and hopes to get hired on after a 4 month internship to eventually work for various companies throughout the next 5-8 years. She later plans on getting her Masters in Design and Constructions from NIFT in New Delhi, India so she can eventually teach and mentor the designers of the future at the University of Texas or an education institution much like it.

Photographer: Debby Garcia, Model: Shadiat Ojelade, HMUA: Maiya Evans & Payge Wilkinson, Writer: Katherine Kykta

ROS BELLENGER

Ros Bellenger’s has a tendency of using colorful fabrics together in an intriguing and vivacious way. Bellenger says that while her collection is relaxed, it is not lazy or sloppy. Her collection targets men and women who live life to the fullest: people who are not afraid to be daring, to take charge, and to pursue their own happiness.

always feels good in. She believes that when a person feels good, anything is possible. As a designer, Ros is motivated to help people discover who they can be, and help them to express themselves to the world. She would like for people to be comfortable with themselves, and wearing quality, comfortable clothes definitely can help.

Bellenger’s collection is inspired by the night - the stars, nebulas, the northern lights; along with the feeling of cool air, breathing deeply, experiencing the sensations of nature, and being full of life. The first time Ros walked through Gearing and passed by one of the labs, there was a magnificent illustration of a menswear collection on the pegboard. She thought to herself ‘I can’t wait to take that class!’ That is when Ros knew she was in the right place.

Naeem Khan is her favorite designer. Bellenger loves beautiful, dramatic, and glamorous designs. The first dress of Khan’s that she saw was an orange gown with gold and silver beading from the Spring 2012 season. She instantly fell in love with the bold use of colors and metallic details. Ros says that while her own aesthetic is not the same, it is definitely in the same spectrum.

To Ros Bellenger, fashion is the pursuit of self-expression.

Clothes don’t define, but liberate a person. She believes that the right clothing can help a person express and gain the confidence to accomplish their goals. People don’t always think about what they put on in the morning, but everything in someone’s clothing tells a little bit about that person. The biggest achievement for her would be to have created someone’s favorite thing to wear – that special outfit that makes someone

After graduation, Ros Bellenger’s goal is to work with URBN, the company that owns Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, and Free People so she can really express herself as a designer.

There are so many things she would like to do, but more than anything she wants to share her designs with the world. She would like to work for an established brand to share her designs with many people. Bellenger would love to come back to teach at UT one day after she has made her way in the world.

Photographer: Sujata Narayana, Model: George Chidiac & Alayna Enos, HMUA: Tiffani Le & Veronica Lozano, Writer: Claire Kwak

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SEUNGKI CHO

Seungki Cho is a student in the Senior Design Program. He is from South Korea where fashion is a very serious part of everyday life. Seungki always enjoyed watching and observing fashion and living in South Korea there was a constant opportunity for this. South Korea is one of the world’s fashion capitals so there is certainly no shortage of inspiration for an aspiring designer. Between the fashion houses based there and the impeccable street style, one could never be uninspired.

Cho wanted to make garments that were his own unique style so he became involved with the UT design program. He chose the University of Texas because it was the best university in the southern United States and well known around the world.

His love for fashion steered him directly into the design program. Nature is a huge influence on Seungki’s design style and his biggest inspiration; this is evident in his collection.

For Seungki a typical day as a design student is always fun, energetic and meaningful. The balance between studio time and classes creates a day that’s always different and hands on.

The life of design student is a very hectic one. In addition to lengthy labs the students must also take courses like biology, chemistry, and calculus to satisfy the requirements for the College of Natural Sciences. Students who complete the Senior

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Design Program are more than just talented designers. In five years Seungki hopes to have completed his internship and be working for a designer. As a design student, an internship is integral to completing the program and learning the most possible about the industry before becoming a working member.

The inspiration for Seungki’s Fusion collection stems from the darker side of himself that he uses to create a tangible collection. Winter also plays an important part in the inspiration for this collection, which ties into the theme of nature that inspires Seungki daily. Labels like Givenchy and Balenciaga influence Seungki; his favorite trend form Fall/Winter 15 collections was the surplus of black. Dark colors are his favorite in fashion and Givenchy and Balenciaga certainly make use of these hues. Since Seungki’s collection is influenced by gloomy things like winter and internal darkness, these deep colors he prefers will be present in his collection.

Seungki views fashion as his life opportunity. As someone who grew up in stylish South Korea it has always been an important part of his life. To be able to complete a collection while in college has given Seungki the opportunity to realize his potential.

Photographer: Ed Lehmann, Model: Sean Hwang, Writer: Ellie Wendland

ANDREA FERNANDEZ

Despite a childhood spent dressing up and doodling, Andrea Fernandez took her time in deciding to pursue design. Originally a Theatre major, Andrea tried out several majors until she came to the conclusion that her passion was somewhere else—fashion.

“I pour my personality into all my designs—from bold patterns to embellishments to my attention to detail,” said Andrea. “They are a canvas of who I am.”

Andrea’s personality will shine in her Fusion collection, which she describes as “vibrant and bold, with a pinch of pizzazz.”

Drawing inspiration from her Latin background, her designs will bring to life the Caribbean and Copacabana. Each garment has a daring element to it, from the saturation of colors to hundreds of hand-sewn rhinestones and appliques.

“It is for the women who are not afraid to make a statement and demand attention once they arrive to a certain place,” Andrea said of her resort-wear collection.

major to pursue outside of fashion, she would choose to be a History major with a focus on the Baroque period.

“I love to watch documentaries in my spare time and I’m a huge history fan. I am simply mesmerized by how we’ve come to be and everything that has happened throughout time,” said Andrea. Her current historical obsessions include Isabella I, Winston Churchill, and Downtown Abbey.

Despite her love of history, Andrea still sees herself in the fashion industry. In five years she hopes to have lots of experience so she can become her own boss. Her dream is to be a widely known personal stylist, or work at the Costume Institute at the Met. As an independent yet determined designer, it has always been important for Andrea to step up her game and stand out. From her signature burgundy lip to her love of silk, Andrea has proven that more is better.

Designing her collection for Fusion has been a big step in Andrea’s life. Her senior collection has provided her with a huge chance to polish her construction skills. Throughout her design career, construction has been her biggest obstacle and she has had to redo pieces multiple times to get things right.

In the end, however, this perseverance has made Andrea more patient and appreciative of hard work.

“I am not simple by any means. I cannot live without accessorizing myself,” said Andrea. Her style is reflected in one of her favorite designer couture collections, Dolce & Gabbana’s Alta Moda. She loves their use of red (her favorite color) and their use of embellishments like lace and rhinestones. Dolce & Gabanna’s emphasis on family and Italian heritage is an additional plus for Andrea, who is currently inspired by all things Italian thanks to an art history course she is taking.

In addition to styling herself in the present, Andrea has always been interested in how fashion has evolved over time. Her favorite class has been the History of Fashion, where she got to travel back in time every class. If Andrea were to pick any

Andrea’s senior collection is a showstopper and worth every hour she has invested. One of her most moving pieces is her evening gown, which draws inspiration from the worldfamous gardens of Ninfa in Italy.

Photographer: Karan Mahendroo, Model: Natalie Fonseca, HMUA: Gabby Tan, Melina Perez & Tiffani Le, Writer: Priyunka Maheshwari

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COURTNEY GILMORE

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Modern, chic, and sophisticated are the three words that describe senior designer Courtney Gilmore’s collection Cracked.

The inspiration for the collection comes from broken mirrors.

The shattered, irregular remnants of what was once a smooth, reflective surface are simply beautiful to her. What entrances her is the variety of shapes and reflections of the broken mirrors. Courtney created asymmetrical designs that evoke a similar feeling as the intriguing cracked mirror and keeps an eye out for the little beauties in this world that most people do not realize. Courtney Gilmore describes her collection as confidently-subtle and attention grabbing. The collection is composed of three dresses. All three allow the person to wear the dress without being overwhelmed.

she would end up doing design. Now she feels that nothing more is satisfying than creating something with her hands and sending it out into the world.

Courtney knew that apparel design was right for her when she was in Apparel I. Her first real experience sewing was when she took this class at UT. At the time, she was switching to Apparel Conservation from Plant Biology, but once she got a taste of designing, she just couldn’t imagine herself doing anything else. Since she was a little girl, Courtney grew up painting, drawing, and making stained glass, but never thought

In the immediate future, Courtney hopes to learn a lot of new skills and meet a lot of new people. She wants to broaden her knowledge and skill set in order to eventually bring that all together into creating something of her own. The end goal is definitely having a line or brand. Something she can be proud of and something that will keep her going. That is her dream.

Her favorite designer is Ports 1961. She loves their use of neutrals and strong silhouettes that are versatile, comfortable, and wearable without looking messy. After graduation, she would love to work for Nick Fouquet out of Venice, California. Nick Fouquet is an amazing hat maker who does beautiful and whimsical work. She would love to learn that trade and eventually incorporate hats into a line of her own in the future.

Courtney absolutely loves to create and that is why she is pursuing a career in fashion.

Photographer: Jose Cruz, Model: Katherine Horak, HMUA: Maiya Evans & Rachel Spross, Writer: Claire Kwak

BILLIE GREEN

Billie Green had a humble introduction to the world of design—starting with a simple research project in high school. Instead of taking the easy route, Billie crafted an orchid-inspired mini dress in the colors of Ecuador’s flag. Since then, Billie has moved on to bigger and better projects such as his raw and lush FUSION collection.

Billie’s collection is inspired by female strength and captures the misogynistic forces that seek to oppress that strength. Designing a collection based on such a controversial subject sounds difficult, but Billie has taken extra care to be positive and not misappropriate the female condition. The inspiration for this collection isn’t just visual—the evening wear pays homage to the song “Desperado” by Azealia Banks.

Billie has worked extensively over the past few months, leaving little time for outside hobbies. However, you might find him watching Japanese cooking videos, playing video games, or trying new restaurants. With such varied interests, Billie has to be careful to stay focused while working on his collection.

“My mom’s strength is the female strength I admire over anything masculine and what I live by. I grew up seeing my grandmother be the ultimate giver,” said Billie.

Billie’s dedication to showcasing the strength of the women in his life and in the world is not limited to just fashion. If he was to pick any career outside fashion, Billie would be an activist. He likes to be blunt about the issues that plague the world, and his collection is designed to increase awareness.

“My mantra while designing this collection can be summarized by the question: ‘why is a useless male nipples okay to show in public but the life giving female breast is shamed?’”

Next year, Billie will continue to take textiles classes and work here in Austin. Within five years, Billie hopes to be working for a designer and growing his personal brand. Most importantly, Billie hopes to able to travel and gain an international perspective.

“If I don’t focus my mind wanders and my design can stray to something way different than I started,” said Billie.

“I want models to be able to walk in a sheer dress without it being stigmatized as a sexual thing. You can’t do that in America, but why is it okay in Europe?” asks Billie.

Billie handles the pressures of designing a whole collection by reminding himself of the end goal. He can’t wait to showcase his personality and share his beliefs with the whole room. Even more important—showcasing to his mom and family how far his design skills have come.

Billie’s drive and perseverance are sure to lead him down a successful path. While watching Billie’s collection at FUSION, be on the lookout for elegant draping.

Draping has been Billie’s favorite textiles class, and has taught him to appreciate the artisan aspect of fashion and the raw creation.

Photographer: Karan Mahendroo, Model: Bonnie McEnnis, HMUA: Gabbi Tan, Melina Perez & Whitney Chan, Writer: Priyunka Maheshwari

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TEDI INFANTE

Tedi was born in Coppell, Texas, a suburb in the Dallas area, surrounded by her cousins and grandparents, who have had a major impact on her desire to pursue fashion. Her grandparents emigrated from Cuba in the early sixties and her grandmother was a seamstress in both Cuba and America.

As a little girl, while her mom was working, Tedi would stay with her grandparents and play with her grandmother’s sewing machine. Although, she never really learned to sew until taking Apparel I with Karen Bravo, her grandmother sparked her interest in design.

Her familial impact does not stop there. Her biggest inspiration at the moment is her Cuban heritage. Her grandfather was able to emigrate from Cuba after the communist revolution in 1962 and start a new life with his family in the U.S. This largely influences her collection. Tedi’s collection is about liberated and passionate people with a little bit of salsa influence.

This topic feels extremely relevant to her now, with the United States discussing hopes of opening an embassy after having an embargo on Cuba for over half a century. She remembers the day President Barack Obama announced hopes of developing relations with Cuba this past December, and even cried while she watched his speech about policy changes. After the speech she immediately called her grandfather and got his thoughts on the speech, a conversation she will never forget, especially, since he recently passed away at age eighty-nine, having never returned to Cuba. But he spoke to her of the love he felt for Cuba and the vibrancy of its people and she wants to explore this vitality in her collection.

Tedi often reflects upon her grandparents’ sense of style as well. Her grandmother was always dressed up in bright skirts and dresses; she wore silk scarves and always had her nails painted. Her grandfather’s daily wear consisted of nice trou-

sers, a button up shirt, and matching leather shoes. He carried a handkerchief and comb in his pocket, and used a shoehorn.

They started from scratch here in America and still were able to work hard and lead classy lives, and the way they dressed expressed that to Tedi.

All in all, that is why her collection is called Havana Nights.

Her family made a big sacrifice leaving everything except the clothes on their backs behind to pursue a better life in America. Havana Nights is about a time at the Tropicana Night Club with Celia Cruz, queen of salsa, performing on stage. This collection symbolizes a free Cuba, a beautiful nostalgia where the people always dressed to make a statement. The collection is about liberation, passion, and celebrates the modern woman.

Clearly Tedi spends a lot of time thinking about her collection and her inspirations, but she also spends a lot of time working on her collection. On a typical Saturday she normally lets herself sleep in until about 9 A.M., drinks coffee and starts going… more than likely she is working on something related to her senior collection.

When she has free time, she spends it with her family. Lately, she feels like there have not been enough hours in the day so when she can she prefers to be with the family.

As for the future, after walking in May, she plans to complete a design internship and secure a job working hard for the company she believes in. She hopes to grow and help fulfill her potential.

Looking back on it now she is so glad she chose the design path and is thankful to her mother, her family, and the Textiles and Apparel faculty at the University of Texas.

Photographer: Naami Phanchaiya, Model: Ixi Hernandez, HMUA: Payge Wilkinson & Tiffani Le, Writer: Katherine Kykta

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EUN KO

Eun Ko is absolutely inspired: “I’ve always been a fan of the quote, “the meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” I thought this quote so closely resembled what my college journey had been, and with this senior collection, I was finally getting ready to give this gift away. So the name of my collection is ‘Gifting’. It is my way of giving my token of gratitude to the world and to all of those who have been with me along the way. But essentially, the collection also carries the idea of presenting the wearer as a gift as well — the gift of a friend, the gift of a mother, or whoever she may be to those dear in her life. I incorporated style choices that would hint at things commonly used for gift-wrapping such as ribbons and a great cut-out fabric that resembles the patterns of doilies.”

Her background is as diverse and interesting as her aesthetic, which is one of self-proclaimed eclecticism and “a grounded love for minimalist styles with touches of femininity.” Born in Seoul, Ko “moved to the States when [she] was seven years old. [She] lived in a couple of different cities (LA and Irvine) since then, but finds [her]self saying that Austin is [her] hometown whenever anyone asks.” The creative gene, for Ko, was inherent: “The first time that I had heard of the word ‘designer’ was when I visited my uncle’s studio as a little girl (He was an interior designer.)” This experience in the inspired propelled Ko’s decision to embrace her “love for the arts, especially in fashion and with clothing. I remember saying that I was going to be a designer ever since then without really even knowing what the job entailed. My favorite pass time as a kid was making paper dolls and outfits with my mom. So the progression just came really naturally, and I ended up on an actual

career path in fashion design.” Ko was also inspired by her own state of mind throughout the design process, and continues to be motivated by “those that are also at this stage, pondering the meaning of life and getting ready for their ‘gifting’ to the world. Not just in a professional way, but in whatever their talents may be.” She also notes that the audience should expect “as you see the outfits, elements of gift wrapping and gifts brought in, the focus on having an ensemble of lifestyle pieces that are wearable and ready to take on life with you.”

Visually, Ko begins with the inspiration of “some fabric I come across or a quote like the inspiration behind this collection. Textures are also a big one. I love the look of different textures being paired together, and it’s really satisfying to see combinations that work. So really, it’s whatever that excites me — and the rest is just bringing it to life.” The process of bringing her ideals to fruition is admittedly challenging; “going from an abstract concept to paper is not easy, and it’s even harder going from those sketches to an actual garment.

It didn’t help that we were on a tight schedule all along the way.” But, Ko notes, “seeing everything in motion on the runway is going to make everything worth it though so I’m looking forward to it.”

Next for Ko? The intrepid designer is planning on relocating to New York, to be “better accessed by different companies and so that [she] would be better able to focus on getting [her] career on the right path. [Ko’s] sister is already settled in the city which makes things convenient as well. I’m really excited for what the next few years could bring!”

Photographer: Edmund Fung, Model: Louise Johnson, HMUA: Louise Johnson & Veronica Lozano, Writer: Erin Kuykendall

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CLAIRE KWAK

Between sleepless nights and working hard to meet deadlines, Senior Designer Claire Kwak is finally reaching the home stretch. With Fusion launching in the near future, all her hard work is approaching the front line. An Arlington, Texas native, Claire has always had a searing passion for fashion. After discovering UT’s Textiles & Apparel program, Claire decided to sit in on a few textiles courses before she made the plunge.

Once she had immersed herself in the class setting, she knew that this was the degree and career that she wanted to pursue.

With the extensive love and support from her closest friends and family to pursue her dreams, Claire changed her major to Retail Merchandising.

It wasn’t until her senior year of Retail Merchandising when Claire realized she wanted to stay an extra year to pursue Apparel Design as well to feature her collection at UT’s annual fashion show. She wanted to learn and encompass all aspects of retail and design to become successful in product development. Thus far, adding Apparel Design to her curriculum has been one of the best decisions she has made. Claire noted that she wouldn’t have been able to accomplish all things without her mother, who she credited as her biggest inspiration in her life.

Her mother has pushed her to strive for greatness and always remember to stay true to herself. She admits that many of her designs reflect her mother’s personality. Another big influence in Claire’s life is Coco Chanel. Growing up, she read

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and articles and books in order to learn more about Chanel’s legendary fashion design history. The more she learned about Chanel, the more she admired her. The most admirable trait of Chanel was the strong passion she possessed and the true love she had for her line of work. Claire noted that these were strong reasons why her iconic fashion house continues.

With her schedule packed tight with all things fashion, Claire enjoys weekends where she is able to exercise, do laundry, and watch a little bit of Netflix before heading to the design lab to work on her senior collection, emphasizing that “it’s important to have some quality time with yourself to recharge in order to work even harder later.” The goal for her collection is to create a look that is “elegantly different with an edgy twist”, a style that she can solely call her own. The collection itself is inspired by rose petals, her mother’s vintage clothes, and her mother’s personality. Claire’s favorite aspect of her collection is that she is constantly learning something new about design and herself throughout the process. She is eager to see what the line will look like as it comes to life on the runway in April.

After graduation, Claire aspires to become a successful product development manager and hopes to one day form her own clothing line to be the creative director for her own label. Most importantly, she sees herself waking up every day and feeling excited to go to work in the future.

Photographer: Jose Cruz, Model: Louise Johnson, HMUA: Louise Johnson & Veronica Lozano, Writer: Tiffani Le

CHERYL LAM

Born and raised in suburban Houston, Cheryl Lam’s Fusion collection is all things classic, feminine, modern and collected.

Growing up, fashion and fashion design were her ultimate form of self-identity, her way of showing everyone who she was—and she grew to love and dream of pursuing the field.

Ceremonials, the name of Lam’s collection, was “named after Florence + the Machine’s studio album. The main ideas or themes presented are feminine fluidity, movement of fabric and drape, and collected sophistication, elements drawn from the Florence + the Machine’s aesthetic.” Which is fitting because her strong suit is “choosing colors and textures that go well together and creating designs that look good on the body.”

Celebrity wise, Emma Watson best embodies her collection, possessing the beauty, grace, and elegance her designs portray.

Describing her collection, Lam notes that the “whole collection consists of five looks: one active wear outfit that draws from Equestrianism, one bridal gown inspired by Downton Abbey and the British aristocratic era, and three cohesive outfits that follow a theme influenced by Florence + the Machine’s sound. Putting it all together required a lot of thinking and visualizing ensuring that everything would look cohesive together. I wanted to make sure that my design style could be seen throughout and that no one garment was way too extreme

or different compared to another. I would say that the most challenging piece I worked on was the bridal gown; it took me a whole month, and it required a lot of fabric and had so many layers and parts to it. I felt like it was never-ending, but it’s probably the best thing I’ve ever made.” That same bridal gown was the favorite of the designer, and “ended up being everything [she] wanted it to be, with every intricate detail and style line,” closely followed by the “three-piece collection because each design is unique and different, but they all look compatible with each other and offer a very cohesive ensemble”.

Cheryl has found that the creative process “requires a lot of time and contemplation to achieve end goals and to make something look like the way [she] envisioned it. [She is] usually inspired by things around [her], like movements, architecture, or people. It starts off by listing themes and images to portray in the designs, and then [she] brainstorms which colors and textures work best with what is visualized. [She is] also a hands-on type of person, so [she] likes touching and feeling things, like fabric and structures. In the end, the process is meant to represent how [she] perceives a certain theme or look.” Next for Lam? “Ideally, I’d like to end up in London, designing for a company and gaining even more knowledge while working in the industry.”

Photographer: Debby Garcia, Model: Bonnie McEnnis, HMUA: Gabby Tan, Melina Perez & Whitney Chen, Writer: Erin Kuykendall

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KARA LECHTENBERGER

Raised in the suburbs of Houston, surrounded by style savvy women, Kara Lechtenberger gives credit to her family and her upbringing for nurturing her passion for style. Countless hours spent with her monogramming machine in middle school marked the beginning of her fashion design days, and she has only added to her skills since then.

Following in her sister’s footsteps and her love for children, she initially sought out to pursue a career in education. However, she soon came to realize that her interests were deeply rooted in apparel design. When she first tried her hand at sewing and other basic skills, she struggled, but quickly discovered how much she enjoyed it.

For her senior design collection, that will walk the runway, Kara focused on resort wear inspired by the scenic destination of Capri, Italy. Although she has never been there, she said that pictures were enough for her to fall in love with the beachfront city. In preparation for the debut of her collection, she did her fair share of research and hopes to soon experience the charms of Capri herself.

An avid traveler who has seen her fair share of Europe, Kara looks to these foreign destinations for inspiration when designing her collections. She pulls colors and patterns from sights she’s seen to develop a garment that is anything but ordinary. Of the many textiles she has played around with, her favorite to work with is silk. She loves the aesthetic nature of how the cloth drapes and flow, especially when she is making gowns.

Two of her role models in the fashion industry are Elie Saab and Tory Burch. For Kara, Elie Saab’s unconventional garments are what set him apart from the rest. Thanks to his manipulation of a variety of textiles, she strongly believes that the fabric is what makes the dress. She admires his self-made

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career that revolves around the importance of women and their appearance. Kara is also inspired by Tory Burch, who has built herself from the ground up and has a wonderful story to go along with her success.

When she’s not spending hours at the sewing machine in the studio, Kara likes to spend time with her sister and her dog, both of whom are extremely important to her. However, recently, she’s been hard at work in the studio as well as behind the stage at the fashion show. As a dear friend to the head of production, Kara decided to delve into the “behind the scenes” action, which she says she enjoys very much because it’s a new experience.

After graduation, Kara has plans to spend her last summer traveling in Europe visiting Munich, Vienna, and Prague.

Once she tours Europe, she hopes to achieve every aspiring fashion designer’s dream to live in the Big Apple. After an internship experience up north for Austin Scarlett, her love for the city grew. From that opportunity, she says she realized that she enjoys the production side. Her long-term goal is to one day go into accessory design and open up a family-run business with colorful jewelry and printed handbags that all reflect her exuberant personality.

As her journey in apparel design at UT comes to a close, Kara says that she has learnt a lot and come away from this experience with many valuable lessons. For her, there have been many challenges throughout the entire design process. From the idea to the creation to the cohesive nature of the collection, every aspect is crucial and needs to come together. Although it was difficult at times, she says that the staff is very helpful and helped guide her throughout the past four years. That’s why she is thankful for the experience UT has provided her thus far and shaping her into the successful designer she has become.

Photographer: Edmund Fung, Model: Rachel Real, HMUA: Payge Wilkinson, Writer: Kalpana Satish

SEIHAK LONG

Seihak Long is a talented senior designers at the University of Texas. Originally from Khmer, Cambodia, he moved to the United States at the age of 11 with his two siblings and mother, whom he credits as his biggest influence in life. His mother immigrated to the United States with her three children and no prior English knowledge. She has always been encouraging for Seihak to pursue his dream in fashion design. Throughout his early teenage years, he felt pressure and criticism to acclimate to the American culture and fashion. He was teased for dressing differently due to the cultural norms that he has been accustomed to. Apparel design and the ability to adapt have both been deciding factors of overcoming adversity.

Seihak is heavily inspired by designer, Mary Katrantzou, for her innovative work in digital printing. He appreciates her work in that although her line has been a major success, she is making effort to evolve from digital printing to 3D printing.

He notes that an ability to adapt and innovate is key to success in the fashion industry and that his experiences from immigrating have helped him hone these skills. In Seihak’s words, “Fashion is an idea, a concept, a trend. There is no specific word you can describe fashion because it’s always changing.” After questioning him about his least favorite trends, he candidly responded by stating that there is no trend he dreads.

Rather, he tries to understand the trend and its emergence.

He would be eager to see more haute couture and elaborate garments on the runway in the future. He respects the craftsmanship of high quality garments and its ability to stun the audience.

A typical Saturday for Seihak includes balancing 18 hours of schoolwork and preparing for his upcoming collection, The Golden Hour. He spends the majority of the weekends in the design lab working meticulously on his collection for Fusion.

In his free time, he enjoys drawing, sketching, cooking and watching Korean dramas. After jumping from major to major in his earlier years of college, he found his niche in Apparel Design & Retail Merchandising. He states that apparel design is constantly gratifying by getting to see one’s hard work come to life, like a dream becoming tangible.

Seihak’s influence for his collection drew back to his adolescence and the desire to feel confident in a garment. His collection aims to make that person feel and look the best that she can. His inspiration for the collection was heavily shaped by art deco architecture and geometrics. His collection, The Golden Hour represents the last moment that is cherished before the final ending. After contemplation, Seihak concludes that his fondest memory during his undergraduate was being able to work, interact, and form bonds with his fellow senior designers. After graduation, he sees himself having a break from education to travel the world and absorb the cultures he experiences. Seihak plans to eventually become an international buyer, or being in a product development position and working the design aspect for a company.

Photographer: Hira Jethwa, Model: Tony Redmer & Bailey Taber, HMUA: Payge Wilkinson & Whitney Chen, Writer: Tiffani Le

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CANDACE MCKINNEY

Candace McKinney’s collection, entitled Desert Bloom, is inspired by foliage and desert scenery, specifically cactuses.

Her line consists of three different gowns all following a color scheme consistent with hunter green. The first dress is pleated, the second is a brocade, and the third has “tons and tons” of tulle. Originally a Chemistry major, Candace became an Apparel Design major after taking Apparel One during her freshman year. It was not even until last semester that Candace realized she wanted to focus on creating gowns.

Candace’s inspiration for her fashion comes from Alexander McQueen who she classifies as a designer who creates gowns that are meant to intimidate. “I like when people are intimidated by me.” McQueen encompasses the power of a woman in his dresses and uses that to intimidate others. That is why Candace’s favorite choices for textiles are velvet and leather, although they are hard to work with together. Candace’s hope for the fashion industry is that there will be more “out there clothing” on the runway. She also hopes the trend of Ugg boots will soon disappear.

The lack of fashion diversity in her home town of San Saba, Texas, where “cowboy boots and jeans” were the staple clothing pieces, influenced Candace to become a fashion major.

For Candace, fashion is a lifestyle. “It’s not just the clothes

you wear it’s an everyday thing. There are so many things to fashion. You can have a costume one day and something totally different the next. You can be a different person every day,” says Candace.

Thus far in her life, the University of Texas at Austin has helped Candace see the different aspects of the fashion industry. From construction to the cost of fabric the Textile and Apparel program has help her understand just how tedious and time consuming the making of any given garment can be. As for her free time, when she is not in the sewing lab, Candace likes to hike. “I like to sit on top of big mountains, bring my sketch pad, and look for inspiration.”

In five years, Candace hopes to either be a designer under a bigger name brand or have her own design line that could be seen on the red carpet (although, the latter is probably a 10 year goal according to Candace). As for the more direct future, Candace says that when she graduates this May she plans to take the summer off in order take some time to herself. After the summer she is going to go “wherever the wind blows” and move towards whoever offers her the best job. “I am open to move anywhere,” she says, “but I do not want to say in Austin.

I have been here for five year, so I think I have overstayed my welcome. I need somewhere new.”

Photographer: Karan Mahendroo, Model: Danielle Befus, HMUA: Maiya Evans & Whitney Chen, Writer: Rachelle Allen

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CARISSA MELENDEZ

Carissa Lynn Melendez is a student in the Senior Design Program from San Antonio, Texas. She says that although San Antonio is a city full of Spanish culture and hues, the focus is on food and lifestyle and not on fashion. However this didn’t stop Carissa from turning her childhood dreams into a reality. As a child Carissa and her sister, Nikki, loved to dress up Barbies and American Girl Dolls. However, it was the struggle to find clothes that fit her 5’2” curvy frame that pushed Carissa into the design industry. She decided that she would take it into her own hands to design slim fitting clothing for the women that wants to tastefully show off their curves.

Carissa describes her aesthetic as “slim fit but not too tight; just enough to show the curves, but loose enough to be modest.” with the goal of making women feel confident and sexy.

She is well known within the textiles program for favoring the “booty” above all else in design, especially in menswear with a more European slim and tapered style. Being able to follow her passions and create custom clothing that actually fits and makes people happy is why Carissa loves being in the design program so much.

The inspiration behind Carissa’s collection was lips, a slim fit, and sexy hues. Some of her favorite things include floral patters, lips, rich and luxurious colors, and a tapered fit. She combined these elements together to create her collection Amor a Primer Beso, or Love at First Kiss. This collection consists of three garments, two menswear and one woman’s wear. She describes these as professional with a twist that makes the dressy more casual and the casual more dressy. Her menswear looks consist of casual look with fitted jean slacks, a deep red slim fit v-neck, a fitted white polo with floral accents, and a tie. A dressier look with a midnight blue suit with a soft pink dress shirt and bowtie completes her menswear looks. The woman’s look is a red trench coat and a midnight blue tightly fitting dress with a white peplum that accentuates the small waist. Carissa created her own lip print by kissing fabric in 5 shades of lipstick and using Photoshop to create a repeating pattern that she printed onto silk fabric. She used this fabric to line the garments and the ties. Her love of lips is made even more special by the opportunity to showcase her own lips in her collection.

Carissa describes a typical class day for a design student as a caffeine fueled whirlwind of hard work. Working in the 3-4 hour lab is her favorite part because it is the time to gain insight from her professors and peers if needed. Every student works on something different and because of this they are all able to help each other with their questions. Following the lab the design students split up to attend their other classes like the College of Natural Sciences required calculus, biology, and chemistry. In addition to this, Carissa is pursuing the Business Foundations Program, which requires her to take business classes in Mccombs. After these classes its back to the lab to continue working on designs.

Carissa views fashion as a way to wordlessly express herself.

She uses style to showcase personality, fierceness, and her level of boldness. The ability to “paint on” an outfit every day show your “canvas” to the world makes Carissa so excited because fashion should describe the wearer, the choice on what you wear allows you to express yourself to the people around you. Most importantly, Carissa believes that fashion should make you feel like yourself.

Photographer: Jose Cruz, Models: Tony Redmer & Katherine Horak, HMUA: Maiya Evans & Rachel Spross, Writer: Ellie Wendland

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IDA NEMATIPOUR

Ida Nematipour is from Dallas, Texas where most of her family still resides today, including her mother, aunt, and grandmother— all of whom are professional seamstresses.She notes that they have been a huge inspiration to her and have greatly influenced her in her to carry on the family legacy in apparel design. Because of her family, Ida has been around a sewing machine ever since she was a baby, and grew to love sewing herself. However, it was not until her second year of college that she realized apparel design was her true passion.

Ida sees fashion as an outlet for people to create themselves, express themselves, and portray themselves to the world in amazingly beautiful ways. Her own life has influenced her view on fashion in so many ways, especially being a second generation American. Studying both language and design, Ida feels that all of the art and culture she has learned about over the years has mixed together, making her the designer that she is today.

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Ida’s collection, Femme Fatale, was inspired by confident, empowered everyday women, along with all of the seductive, mysterious 1940’s femme fatale. Recently, Ida has been really inspired by street style and loves to see what her fellow Austinites are wearing during every season of the year. Her favorite go-to designer is Marc Jacobs because of his dark edge on classic silhouettes. Her least favorite fashion trend currently is purposely ripped clothing. She can’t wait for it to leave the runway because she hates the hole-worn, about to fall apart look. The trend she would most like to see is sheer apparel with appliqués. Ida would like to see this trend grow alongside a coinciding growth in female empowerment and confidence.

When Ida is not busy with apparel design, with the little free time she does have, she loves to paint, draw, and learn to play a variety of musical instruments. She loves to craft and be creative any way that she can. Since she is studying French and Apparel Design, after graduation Ida plans on finding an internship in Paris or New York. Her long-term goal is to one day start up her own brand, and hopefully design in Paris.

Photographer: Edmund Fung, Models: Lexi Hill, HMUA: Tiffany Chan & Rachel Spross, Writer: Rachel Spross

MARY BETH NEWTON

Astronomy is one of her biggest passions, sociology is her background, and her dream fashion house would be NASA. Mary Beth is a senior apparel design student, born and raised in Austin, Texas. She always knew she wanted to attend a research-oriented university, so she decided on UT at a young age. Here, she discovered her fascination with astronomy, which gave her a unique perspective focused on the function and technical aspects of fashion.

company is still present, now she likes the idea of going to Graduate School and hopefully pursuing a career with NASA. Although the idea of freelancing is tempting for her because she believes that if you are passionate and in love of something you want to be surrounded by it… she even transformed her bedroom into her own studio. She is split between visual and technological aspects. And she refuses to be stuck doing the same job for the rest of her life.

Her passions outside the classroom include gardening and she would love to have her own controllable ecosystem in the future. “I love reading about space news, I am fascinated by them.“ Space and astronomy are really important areas of her everyday life. Karen L. Nyberg is one of Mary Beth´s most important role models, she was an UT alumni and she currently works in NASA with the development of temperature technology for astronaut suits.

For Mary Beth fashion is the promotion of a sense of identity.

Fashion is style is how you wear the clothes that the industry provides you. Clothes are taken for granted and most people don´t know how they are made or realize the immense detail that goes into creating them. Populations are exponentially expanding so we need to keep diversifying the fashion industry.

Mary Beth is obsessed with overalls, rompers and jumpsuits.

There is three things she could not live without: platform shoes, a barrette to keep her hair off her face when she is working and her functional yet chic 9 pockets jacket. If she could choose a garment to make for the rest of her life it would be shirt dresses because they can be translated into a tunic and can undergo several transformations. Polyurethane is the textile she would choose to use for the rest of her days because she would like to incorporate more 3D elements in her designs.

Her favorite designers are: Celine Phoebe Philo, Rosie Assoulin and Stella McCartney, designers that transmit sociological ideals and break the visual definition of gender associations are her favorite ones. She thinks that the lines between masculine-feminine shapes are always expanding the criteria for what makes a gender-neutral garment.

When she was little she had the big dream of becoming a designer for an important fashion house but while growing up she realized she needed a more attainable dream. While her interest to work for a fashion house or a start-up fashion

She fantasized that the future of fashion will be one where 3D printing is the most popular way to produce clothes, easy designs you can print out at home. Thinking from abstract prints to 3d design is very difficult to comprehend at first and because it is relatively new to the public is going to take some time to reach the general audience, but she strongly believes that relying more on technology and function could be an interesting future where some sense of functionality and easiness develops around garments. She is the designer that is going to fight for gender equality from sociology to fashion, that is going to make beautiful but simple comfortable clothes.

With and androgynous aesthetic, clean and simple lines she designed her collection, Wanderers. The inspiration behind the name of this collection comes Carl Sagan and his book Pale Blue Dot. She believes in the power of androgynous fashion elements like the mandarin collar or different necklines that can apply for women or men clothing. Her collection is meant to be a unisex brand that really reaches out to everyone that is sexually awkward and not very identifiable with one gender or another. A collection for people that do not wear a lot but still want to look chic, for people from all ages young adults to seniors. In three words her collection can be summarized as innovative, comfortable and gender neutral.

Photographer: Sujata Narayana, Models: Kristen Elizabeth Henke, HMUA: Kristen Elizabeth Henke, Writer: Maria Torres

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LILLIE NOE

With a bad habit of sewing together the wrong pieces, a defender of the power of wedge boots, and a dress aficionado, Lillie Noe is a senior apparel design student, born and raised in Dallas, Texas. A few years ago she decided to carry on the legacy her grandparents left of being Longhorns, though she never thought she was going to study apparel design. She recalls making the decision one day driving her car and finding herself fighting with the sleeves of her dress, in that moment she thought: “Why don’t I make the clothes I want to wear?”

With a very girly-girl wardrobe her main closet staples are day dresses, J.Crew sweaters, functional simple jeans, and a very interesting personality that could be described as sweet, with a nerdy side. Lillie says that Natalie Portman and Star Wars were her dream aesthetic for many years and despite her eternal love for Star Wars, her plans for the future have changed.

She tries to have a balance between technology and femininity and although she doesn´t always show both sides, both aspects always influence her- logistics and design. She wants to focus on business and maybe one day have her own brand. She does not see herself or her clothes in New York, instead she wants to go back to Dallas and then go into Business for graduate school.

Lillie is a video game enthusiast and believes that apparel design is comparable to 3D animation where you have to design a little model to get a real object. She uses a variety of techniques like digital pattern making, 3D printing, and laser cutting when it comes to apparel design. She believes that some of her aesthetic to mimic nature in a way that is very artificial and modern.

Though her design process involves a lot of inspirational images, she confessed to have a bad habit of changing her mind and struggling with the final sewing touches including finishing the edges in garments. Her favorite textile is Brocade and she claims that she could work with cotton sateen forever

because the color and lines would speak for itself. She enjoys making A-line dresses and thinks that bow necks are the superior neckline.

Some of her fashion idols include Edith Head, Christian Dior, and Alexander McQueen. Despite the fact that she does not design really exuberant garments, she strongly believes in McQueen´s idea of translating knowledge into a runway. If she could have dinner with someone from the fashion world it would be Christian Dior, because she thinks he radically changed the silhouette of fashion, yet barely got to enjoy all the success he has worked hard for.

Right now, Lillie fantasizes a future where fashion stops being a small scale manufacturing process. She believes in a fashion industry instead of going to the store, we can use technology to order customized models of the garment from the commodity of your bedroom. Digital patterns are mass-produced and print them, a future where you just need to click. She believes in practical design and wants to make clothes people can wear over and over again.

Organic Machine is the name of her nature-inspired collection.

It encompasses the idea of taking natural materials and reproducing them in a way that is man made. Some of the garments created were made with 3D printers. 50s and 60s inspired, versatile, cotton, day dresses are one of the most identifiable aspects of her collection. The inspiration for this collection comes from an era more than a specific object. Lillie thinks that if her collection could be a place it would be Barcelona, a sunny city, where you can have fun, relax but where you definitely care about how you look. The customer profile for Organic Machine is an adult woman that wants to look professional and pursues garments with silhouette conservative cuts.

For this collection, Lillie´s inspiration came more from eras than from people, but Audrey Hepburn’s style resembles her collection.

Photographer: Sujata Narayana, Models: Rachel Steinkamp & Rachel Real HMUA: Payge Wilkinson, Writer: Maria Torres

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ALYSSA REAVIS

From the small town of Fredericksburg located in the Texas Hill country, Alyssa Reavis came to UT for a higher education in order to obtain a degree in apparel design. She was inspired by the unique stores and the creative minds of the people in her hometown, she acquired an artistic style of her own.

In the beginning of the major decision process, Alyssa combined her passion for clothing and her artistic expression and concluded that fashion design was the best compromise. She defines fashion as an empowering form of expression. It is this definition that continues to fuel her obsession for feeling and creating clothes.

Now that it is her final year here at the University of Texas (UT), Alyssa can look back and say she has worked incredibly hard to get to where she is. She could not have done it without the help of the university though! She believes that UT has strongly shaped her experience in apparel design. The opportunities that have been offered to her have been enriching and have allowed her to step out of her comfort zone to try her hand at new projects. She claims that opportunities alongside the incredible diversity here and around Austin have made the journey much more fulfilling.

Not only have the local surroundings influenced Alyssa’s creations and styles, but so has the global fashion industry. From style icons to fashion designers, she is attracted to the classic style of many celebrated figures, which she incorporates into her own aesthetic along with a modern twist. She considers Christian Dior a talented fashion connoisseur, because every piece he has crafted is a work of art that exudes elegance.

Alongside Dior, she has always admired Jackie Kennedy for

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her chic style that has to this day continued to inspire many people. From these two role models, she has come to love the fabric brocade, because of its ability to transform into a structural piece.

However, Alyssa’s latest source of inspiration has stemmed from all things atmospheric. From aviation to birds, she looked to aspects of flight that really intrigued her. After looking at the ethereal nature of a bird’s feathers to the vapor trails left in the sky by a jet, she combined these elements to create a cohesive collection that speaks true to her creative style and diligence.

Apart from working day in and day out, especially for the past few months on her collection, she likes to dedicate time to herself. A typical Saturday consists of catching up on sleep and other school related responsibilities while working as a closet jewelry designer. However, when she’s feeling adventurous, she enjoys experiencing new things around the city of Austin.

Of the many locations, she particularly likes visiting South Congress to visit the eclectic boutiques and local restaurants.

In the past four years, Alyssa has found a positive balance between family, friends, and fashion in her life. She hopes to carry these ideals past graduation and far into the future. After this summer, she looks to gain valuable work experience that will one day provide her the skills necessary to be successful in the industry. Whether she opens her own affordable line tailored to a large market or works in LA or NYC on a product development team, she consistently reminds herself what fashion means to her.

Photographer: Edmund Fung, Models: Lexi Hill, HMUA: Tiffany Chan & Rachel Spross, Writer: Kalpana Satish

SHELBY SMITH

Shelby Smith has never considered career path other than fashion design. Ever since she can remember, she was drawing dresses and awing over Vogue Magazines. Her dream never changed, it just continued to grow.

Her mind is always thinking about design in one way or another; She is constantly seeking inspiration in her daily life and absorbing the world and people around her. This may have started since she is from California, and was around fashion a lot because of her mom. She loved watching movies with movies that pertained to fashion, like Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion and Clueless!

Shelby is currently inspired by the idea of dark romanticism and mixing this modern lines and geometric shapes. She really enjoys finding inspiration from periods of history and specific regions of the world. Different textures are also very intriguing to her, and they are usually her go to inspiration for creating new prints. So it’s no surprise that her favorite fabric to use is lace!

Shelby considers Tom Ford her favorite label and a constant inspiration to her designs. She believes he is beyond amazing and has established a fashion empire based on powerful women and staying true to who he is as a designer. She says when you think of the Tom Ford brand, you can also think of the women wearing it. That is the type of brand she seeks to work for, and eventually develop.

As of right now for her own Senior Collection, Shelby was first inspired by the Egeskov Castle in Denmark and its story

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about a princess leaving her pristine beginnings for an excommunicated knight. From there, she took inspiration from a mixture of things like medieval architecture, knights and armor, forests, castles, cathedrals, and romance.

All of this inspiration and creation really keeps her busy, so Saturday mornings usually consist of her taking her pup to the park, followed by a day of designing, pattern making, and sewing.

In the future, there are two areas of design that she would love to pursue. Her greatest passion is designing lingerie (it makes sense that her biggest pet peeve is panty line), and she would ideally love to start her own business designing mass-fashion lingerie and couture eveningwear. I would also love to pursue costume design and styling on set for major TV and film production companies.

After graduation, she plans to move to L.A, or somewhere in Southern California, to start her career and continue her education in design. Within seven years in California she would develop her Lingerie and eveningwear company and within 10 she hopes to have an established brand. With that she hopes to travel a lot and source the best fabrics from countries all over.

Fashion is the style and behaviors that surround us every day.

Fashion is literally everywhere in some form. Our clothing reflects the statement we choose to make and how we want others to perceive us. It’s also the glamour and devotion created by so many designers. There’s an entire world devoted to fashion for a reason. It’s also my happy place.

Photographer: Naami Phanchaiya, Models: Pamela Hurley, HMUA: Tiffani Le, Writer: Karan Mahendroo

TINA TRAN

Anyone can tell you that summer fashion is all about colorfrom soft pastels to rich jewel tones to poppy patterns, we’re all more than ready to shed our winter layers and celebrate the warmer weather in our most colorful clothing. For this reason, senior designer Tina Tran’s “Dilettante” line features some of the most perfect summertime evening gowns we’ve ever seen.

Degas’ dancers and Monet’s water lilies were a major source of inspiration for Tina’s “Dilettante”, which will premiere at Fusion. She turned to classic impressionist paintings with the goal of adding a little color to more traditional eveningwear.

Tina says she’s always been inspired by art, as well as music, theater and different cultures around the world. She also cites growing up minutes away from Disneyland as a source of inspiration- and yes, she has always wanted to be a Disney princess! And although her colorful evening gowns could make anyone feel like a princess, her designs are decidedly modern and would look even better on a runway or red carpet than in a castle. Plus, her gowns are fun- and who says that whimsy and youthfulness can’t be glamorous?

Designing and constructing an evening gown is time-intensive, to say the least. But Tina took this already-laborious process even further by hand-painting her own fabrics to emulate her favorite impressionist works. She also sewed tiny seed beads onto her gowns to add a little sparkle. Her goal was

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to fuse this more traditional, art-inspired material with modern shapes. For example, one Dilettante design features a boxy crop top with a flowing, fully pleated skirt (which took 20 feet of fabric to make!). In the end, Tina envisions these dresses being worn to a “midsummer night garden party”.

Of course, the process of bringing Dilettante to life has brought its share of challenges. Tina admits that at first she felt overwhelmed by too many sources of inspiration, which she feared would make her collection look “disjointed and random”. She was constantly changing her mind, which led to a serious time crunch mid-semester. But if there’s anything Tina has been forced to learn this semester (besides how to design gorgeous gowns, of course), it’s time management. Between a full course load, work, and all Fusion-related responsibilities she’s had little time to waste this year. But Tina acknowledges that this intense schedule has helped her learn to juggle commitments and manage her time for “maximum focus and efficiency”- definitely a plus for anyone hoping to work in the fashion industry. A year from now, Tina hopes to be settled in a city (she’d like to live in New York at least once!), designing for a brand she loves. Something tells us that if she can create a line as ethereal, beautiful, and perfect-for-summer as Dilettante, she has a future as bright as her favorite impressionist paintings.

Photographer: Naami Phanchaiya, Models: Nicole Nagel, HMUA: Veronica Lozano, Writer: Lauren Hodges

LEONIE VERSTEEG

Picture the kind of dress a glamorous supervillain would wearthink Angelina Jolie as Maleficent, but with an aesthetic that’s more high fashion than fairy tale. Chances are, the image in your mind looks a lot like Leonie Versteeg’s collection for Fusion. This senior designer, originally from the Netherlands, is creating a series of bold looks inspired by fantasy, armor, dragons, and badass warrior women. Leonie’s collection is sure to be unlike anything else on the Fusion stage.

Unlike most of the other senior designers, Leonie isn’t an Apparel Design major. Instead, she’ll be graduating with a degree in Retail Merchandising and the goal of working on the “business side of fashion” as a retail planner. Although Leonie possessed basic sewing skills upon coming to UT, she had little experience in (or desire to pursue) design before a fashion illustration professor suggested she try an apparel design course. Although she never saw herself as a designer and was only looking to improve her sewing, she now says that she’s incredibly glad she took that first apparel course and that she “can’t imagine doing anything else”.

Anyone can picture a fantastic supervillian gown strutting down a runway, but it takes true talent- and a whole lot of patience- to bring such a vision to life. Leonie’s inspiration took root in her favorite video games, particularly Skyrim. She was enchanted by the power and grace of the game’s digital

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dragons and the strength of its female protagonists. According to Leonie, in the gaming world it’s rare to see women “represented as more than just trophies”. Drawing inspiration from these characters, as well as Artemisia from “300: Rise of an Empire” and Regina Mills from “Once Upon a Time”, dragons, and medieval armor, Leonie began to sketch a collection that combines strength, fantasy, and serious style.

When discussing her collection for Fusion, Leonie highlights its “strong, armor-like lines, hand-appliquéd ‘dragon scales’, harness-like belt accessories, and modified capes”. These intricate details help bring her fantastical inspirations to life but manage not to look overly costume-y. She admits that assembling the collection posed a significant challenge- she spent three days attaching the ‘dragon scales’ to her first garment alone. Juggling long hours of sewing with five other classes has also made this semester a “massive experiment in time management” for Leonie. But regardless of the challenge, Leonie knows that Fusion is undoubtedly preparing her for a future in the fashion industry. She acknowledges that designing for the show is “forcing [her] to consider every aspect of design- from conception to finished product to [public relations]”. Few projects involve so much from a single designeralthough Leonie says she wouldn’t pass up the chance to do it again!

Photographer: Naami Phanchaiya, Models: Nicole Nagel, HMUA: Veronica Lozano, Writer: Lauren Hodges

KAT WANG

Katherine “Kat” Wang is originally from Cary, North Carolina where she first became interested in fashion while in high school. She read magazines, took some sewing and design classes, and before she knew it, she was hooked. The more she learned about it, the more she loved it. She can’t see herself working in any other industry. Growing up in a suburban town as she did, Kat felt very suppressed by the conformity everyone around her seemed to have regarding certain fashion trends. While everyone else was wearing and doing the same things, Kat always wanted to stand out from the “cookie cutter type.” To Kat, fashion is a form of expression—it shows who you are, and who you’d like to be.

Her favorite things to design are evening wear and cocktail dresses. Kat’s collection, “Rebel Without a Cause”, was inspired by the gothic architecture of the medieval period. This, along with her desire to stand out and differentiate herself, led her to design a black wedding gown. She also took inspiration from the grand, tall, but slim, structure of these buildings and cathedrals, along with their distinct pointed arches and vaulted ceilings. This is her favorite part of the design process—finding inspiration, and then creating something entirely new from it.

Kat describes her own personal style as minimalistic and edgy, and she loves to shop at H&M and Urban Outfitters because she feels they both fit this style well. After traveling a lot her senior year of high school, she began discovering other bands different than the mainstream ones of her suburban town. Kat notes that music has really influenced her edgier, sexier style, along with her designs as a whole. Some of her favorite design features are cutouts and deep-v necklines. One of Kat’s favorite trends right now is crop tops with high waisted bottoms because she feels that together, they elongates the body, while also giving an overall versatile look.

Her favorite designers are Balmain, Alexander McQueen, Rodarte, and Donna Karan. She loves Balmain and Donna Karan because she feels that they represent her own personal style.

She likes Alexander McQueen and Rodarte for both of their keen attention to detail. Kat describes them both as intricate and intriguing. Her style icon is Kate Moss. Kat finds her style inspiring because it is simple, yet edgy and sophisticated, much like Kat herself.

When Kat is not busy with fashion design, she enjoys going to see live music and attending music festivals. After graduation, she plans to move to New York where she hopes to gain further experience with an internship. Her dream job is to design for Donna Karan or Alexander Wang.

Although a year from now she hopes to be running a customorder shop for special occasion apparel- one of the reasons she started sewing was the fact that she had a hard time finding clothes that perfectly fit her body- it’s safe to say that Leonie more than values the time she’s spent in the Textiles and Apparel program at UT. She says that her experience at UT has helped her become more open to experimenting and taking risks in her design. She also values the connections she’s made on the second floor of Gearing as well as the support, encouragement, and collaboration she’s found among both professors and fellow designers. In short, Leonie says that her time in the TXA department has helped her to “come out of [her] shell as a designer”- and, without a doubt, prepared her to pursue a vibrant career in fashion.

From the sharp lines to the intricate ‘scales’, Leonie’s designs are as beautiful and sophisticated as they are fantastical. She hopes that we’ll see her designs and imagine “a woman striding into battle, sword in hand”- full of strength, elegance, and wonder. It’s pretty clear that Leonie has brought this fantasy to life.

Photographer: Edmund Fung, Models: Harper Fagerquist, HMUA: Payge Wilkinson & Whitney Chen, Writer: Rachel Spross

112 I SPARK

PRESIDENT RONIT JOSELEVITZ For three and a half years, I have seen the University Fashion Group (UFG) evolve into an unstoppable creative network for students at the University of Texas who seek to immerse themselves in everything that is fashion. Since I first joined as a freshman, I along my peers, have had the opportunity to experience Austin’s fashion scene from a first hand perspective and meet with inspirational professionals who have experienced fashion from a global lens and yet have chosen to come back to work in fashion here in Austin. As president of UFG, my ultimate goal is to build a foundation of industry professionals who members can observe and learn from as well as provide a creative outlet for students of all majors who have an eye for fashion. This year, speakers have included local fashion designers, accessory designers, stylists, retail gurus, and buyers to name a few. Ultimately, I want members to attend meetings leaving inspired to create their next fashion lines, open their stores, and challenge themselves toward the steps necessary to achieve these goals.

Nicols, Karen Bravo, and Ockhee Bego. Our objective for the senior fashion show includes producing a beautiful show that complies with the senior designers’ visions and I think we are on that track. After having designed last year for Spectrum, I’m so grateful to be able to plan this year’s Fusion Fashion Show for the senior designers—it’s truly an unforgettable experience.

One of my favorite parts of being president of UFG is the opportunity to work closely with my team of about 30 officers who are the bread and butter of the organization. Without them, I probably wouldn’t remember my own name, nor be able to run such a successful organization at UT. From my two amazing Vice Presidents, Whitney Chan and Mong Bui to my Events Coordinator, Carolina Ramos, UFG would not be where it is today without them. As a team, we produce the UT fashion show alongside our amazing faculty sponsors Eve

This semester UFG is coming back bigger and better, incorporating member feedback to improve meetings and events.

For the first time ever, UFG will be hosting an interactive panel featuring three different speakers from across the board in the Austin fashion community. This new event will follow a special Gearing courtyard social sponsored by the School of Human Ecology and will take place on April 7th. UFG has yet to host such an event and I am excited to be a part of bringing this to UT students!

In addition to planning the UT fashion show, members of UFG are given the opportunity to join committees, such as the dressing committee, that grants them access as dressers to local fashion shows. As members, students become eligible to attend New York Fashion Week. This past February we had 17 members attend NYFW where they dressed backstage at Lela Rose. For the future, I hope to expand the amount of members that attend NYFW and increase our presence at other shows, in addition to establishing the trip as a UT sponsored trip.

ART DIRECTOR TRÉ MILES I’m currently a third year student who’s studying Retail Merchandising while completing a business foundations certification and a design minor. Although temporarily sidetracked pursuing a nursing major, I realized my passion was for making statements with clothing. Even as an outside major, I knew that UT had a fashion oriented organization that gave like-minded students a place to explore and get involved in the industry. That organization was University Fashion Group. The org, or UFG for short, puts on an annual fashion show that gives the senior designers a one-of-a-kind opportunity where they get to display their own fashion geniuses. I first attended the third meeting of the Fall 2012 semester and have been here ever since. I worked my way up the organization, starting as a member, then becoming the assistant art director, to now. Since I’ve told you a bit about me, let me take you through my year as the Art Director.

In August (technically my duties begin in the summer) I begin to prepare the meeting flyers and finalize the UFG member shirts. One of the cool things about this position is that I, as well as the social media team, get to set the stylistic tone for the upcoming year. As the first few meetings of the year get underway, the art committee and I patiently wait as the collective of designers and UFG officers must choose that year’s name. When the name is chosen (i.e. Fusion), I immediately start to brainstorm with my committee to see how we can bring to life and conceptualize the stage and all other show related displays. After we reach a verdict on a basic

visual for the show, it is sent over to our graphic designer who goes through a few rounds of sketches before they come to a final image.

In January, we go from 0 to 60 in 3.5 seconds, as we have to start actually taking our ideas from ideas and sketches to an actual stage. In doing so, a prototype must be built so I can see if the designers and UFG heads love or hate the direction the stage is going. After the approval, the art committee and I go into overdrive and make the stage panels completely. Along with the stage, comes making the runway, the backstage shirts, the pens, the stickers, and much more. Once Spring Break hits, everything becomes too real as we only have a month to bring the remaining pieces together. I have to keep in touch with printing businesses and other construction professionals to make sure that everything is set to go according to schedule. When everything is done, usually only a few days before the show, I get to finally relax and enjoy the show.

Overall, the University Fashion Show and the University Fashion Group are great creative outlets for most students who want to be fully immersed in a world that most people never even get to see. As my stress increases so does my excitement for the approaching show. I know that this year’s show, Fusion will definitely not disappoint and I can’t wait for everyone to see the hard work the designers and UFG members have put in!

PUBLIC RELATIONS VICTORIA ESPINOZA As Director of Public Relations, I maintain the image of the University Fashion Group and its connection to the fashion show. For the group, I get the word out about our meetings and have people join who are interested in fashion.

That being said, the fashion show is where I put in the most time. I’m in charge of getting the public to come to the event.

I write the press release and send it out to publications all over Austin and the surrounding areas. Pre-show coverage is essential. We try and persuade publications to cover an aspect of the event before. I’ll pitch ideas to the writers about doing a profile on designer with the same aesthetic as their publication or I will have them cover the designers as a whole.

Through the months of February and mid-March, we focus on the publications and after that, until the show, we move to television. In the last few weeks, television stations come to the school and film the students sewing and talking about the show.

In all, it is a lot of work. I would not be able to do it without my committee. They always step up whenever I need them.

Closer to the date of the show, my committee and I tackle reaching out to campus and around town by putting up posters everywhere possible. We go to local Austin stores and ask them to put fliers in their store so customers can see. That is a really fun day where we just run around Austin and talking to people.

Another responsibility is to make sure the press get their press passes. I take into account those who will need photography passes and how many we need and where they need to be seated.

That being said, before the show is when we do most of our work. The day of the show, we work front house and take people to their seats. We make sure the press gets their passes and that everything goes smoothly with the other attendees and other people committees running the show. For example, we will help the VIP committee assemble the swag bags for the donors. Finally when the show starts and everyone is inside, we have a bit of time to relax and enjoy what we helped put together. Then after, we help take it all down knowing that we accomplished so much.

HEAD OF SHOW PRODUCTION SHELBY SMITH As the Head of Show Production, I am the liaison between the senior designers and the UFG officers. It is my job to turn the designer’s visions into reality while keeping the UFG officers informed, organized, and up-to-date. The Show Production team is responsible for hair and makeup looks for photo shoots and runway, music selections, backstage coordinating, senior events, and much more. We also work closely with our Model Coordinators to organize fittings and photoshoots that are reflective of the visions of our senior designers.

So many crucial details go into producing the show, so staying organized and keeping a supportive team is necessary for a smooth and successful spring semester! My responsibilities are diverse and cover a lot of broad but important topics pertaining to the show. This is why it is important to have a team that is balanced, hard working, creative, and quick thinking.

Each of my assistants has a different strong suit, so I use their talents and passions as my guideline for delegating work among them. All of my assistants are brilliant at what they do and the success of show production is reliant on them.

A large portion of my time in the Spring semester is dedicated to photoshoots. These take place about halfway through the making of the senior collections. I work very closely with Professor Ockhee Bego to establish connections with

professional models for photoshoots. After finding our ideal models, we hold garment fittings so that each look will be perfectly tailored. The Show Production team is also responsible for supplying hair and makeup for some of the senior shoots; we do this by reaching out to local Austin salons who are passionate about working with the creative minds of fashion designers. We also work with many fashion magazines and style bloggers in Austin to spread the word about our fashion show. Overall, the Senior Designers are given a lot of exposure during the few months building up to the fashion show.

Working as the Head of Show Production has been the greatest achievement of my life thus far, although this job is not for the faint of heart. Being Head of Show Production is just as enjoyable as it is time consuming, which makes everything I do so rewarding. I have put endless amounts of love and hard work into UFG, and the experiences and lessons I have learned are priceless. I have a thorough understanding of what it takes to put on and produce a fashion show that broadcasts on Live TV for the entire United States to see; I’m not sure many people can say the same. I am grateful for everything I have been taught by past officers and design teachers, there is no greater gift than being mentored by some of the best in the Fashion Industry.

MODEL COORDINATOR MAX LA I am a third-year Merchandising and Consumer Sciences major at the University of Texas at Austin. Although originating from San Jose, CA in Silicon Valley, I grew up in Dallas, TX and now consider myself an Austinite in this wondrous city.

Taking on the position as Creative Director of UT’s fashion publication, Spark Magazine, Style and Editorial Intern at Austin Fashion Week, and now Head Model Coordinator of University Fashion Group, I inspire to one day move to New York City and pursue a career in fashion. Whether the job is buying for a corporate company, styling for a magazine, or producing New York Fashion Week, given the opportunity, I am confident in my ability to deal with any tasks given and go above and beyond expectations. But for now, living in one of the greatest food capitals in the nation will suffice. If you want to win me over just order me a “Trailer Park’ from Torchy’s Tacos and make it dirty!

Coming to The University of Texas at Austin, I was determined to join an organization that I was passionate about and could devote my time into. I stumbled across the University Fashion Group and immediately knew this was the organization for me. So I attended my first meeting two years ago and consistently attended every event possible. After investing five semesters and countless hours I am now a head officer with a committee of over 100 members. This experience has assisted me in becoming well-rounded and has helped me develop a useful skillset that I will utilize in the future. And of course, UFG has connected me to such a diverse group of people and even some lifelong friends.

As Model Coordinator, I build and maintain relationships with local fashion designers and manage consistent communication with event planners in the Austin area to produce the best industry opportunities for UFG members. As the show approaches, I recruit models and work jointly with the show production team to ensure the concept of each designer’s collection is fully grasped, and also serve as a liaison between designers, models, dressers and hair & makeup artists. Arrangement of fittings are also achieved through my coordination of photo shoots and oversight. In my entirety, I help tailor the run-of-show order and organize all backstage actions during the senior fashion show to make certain that everything will run smoothly.

This year, I am certain that Fusion will be the largest and finest Senior Design Fashion Show we’ve ever had. It’s going to be a hectic couple of weeks, but I am extremely grateful to be a part of this craziness. If I could do everything I am doing now for the rest of my life and get paid for it. I would be absolutely ecstatic. As stressful as this job may be sometimes I wouldn’t have it any other way. Confucius put it best when he said, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life”. Some people spend their entire lifetime figuring out what they’re truly passionate about but once you get to that point than you’re pretty much half way there.

DIRECTORS OF SOCIAL MEDIA MEHER JAHAL & TIFFANY PHAM As Directors of Social Media, we work together to communicate with our audience through our online platforms with updates relevant to University Fashion Group, The University of Texas, and the greater fashion community. We’re responsible for upholding the content and consistency throughout all of our digital outlets, which currently include our website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Vimeo. Being retail merchandising majors, neither of us really expected to develop skills with digital media or professional photo and video software. However, our responsibilities with this position pushed us to construct a brand new website, design promotional portraits and graphics, and assist in the production for promotional video trailers. In result, we have certainly gained an unexpected advantage for our field, and for that, we are extremely grateful.

This past summer we built a new face for our website and brought it to the organization at the start of the school year, and this change from Wordpress to Squarespace has been an immense improvement for the face of UFG. Not only is it simpler for us to control every aspect of the website, but it is also presents a much cleaner and organized appearance for our audience.

To promote for the UT fashion show, we design headshots incorporating the show’s logo for the UFG team and featured apparel design students in order to advertise for the show via students’ personal digital channels. We also form a creative team to help produce a video trailer for further show promotion.

All of our tasks and projects could not be successfully accomplished without the help of our team and surrounding network. The 2014-2015 academic year is the first for UFG to have Co-Directors of Social Media. Over recent years, the rise of social media has led organizations and businesses

alike to understand the importance of digital media and utilize these platforms for advertising and promotional efforts.

Because of that, this position only became more demanding.

We started as assistants and have been working hard to properly execute our tasks and thus were granted joint head officer positions, and we thank UFG executives for understanding and valuing the time and effort necessary to maintain this aspect of the organization.

For those interested in officer positions in the future, there are three things to emphasize: taking initiative, assertive voice, and efficient communication. These skills are some of the most difficult ones for students to confidently grasp, but are expected from employers today. Our officer positions are amazing leadership experiences that help us grow in regards to these skills and more, overall guiding us in the right direction for our own benefit. Though our officer team may initially seem excessive and intimidating, the structure serves a purpose for those involved. We have head executives, assistant executives, head directors, assistant directors, associates, and members, and this structure resembles that of most companies in the professional work field. It has provided great insight to the structure, expectations, and environment of industry positions that many of us aspire to attain in the future.

Overall being an officer is a rare opportunity to come across in college and has been what we value most from our experience in UFG. For any UT student that is ambitious to pursue a career in the fashion industry, we strongly encourage that you enthusiastically devote at least a year or two to this organization. The experience is truly unlike any other that you may find in Austin. Find us online for any questions you may have about your interest in UFG or our officer positions!

FUSION FASHION SHOW APRIL 23 2015 The University of Texas at Austin / School of Human Ecology Division of Textiles and Apparel / 5:30pm Fashion Alley / 5:30pm Immersed in Cotton Room / 7:15pm Runway Show \ Free Admission / Tickets available at Box Office \ Frank Erwin Center

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SPARK MAGAZINE