March 22, 2016
By Sarah Tinoco
On April 2 and 3, the senior apparel merchandising and design class will present their learnings in the much anticipated annual fashion show. This year’s show, CHICago Streets: The Real Runway, will feature the culminated work of 17 apparel merchandising and design students.
“We wanted something that incorporated elements of the real fashion world and our own interpretation of what fashion in Chicago means to us,” co-director Lauren Pinkston said of choosing the street style-inspired theme.
“The apparel class of 2016 values the relevance of individuality and personal style in fashion. The idea of a woman or man using their clothing as a way to express who they are is very dynamic and appealing,” Pinkston said.
The show is entirely produced by the senior apparel class, with advertising, fundraising, stage and runway setup and more discussed and planned in the capstone course, Apparel Design and Merchandising Seminar.
The show will feature the work from students of all class levels from the design courses Costuming for Theater, Computer Aided Design, Flat Pattern Design and Draping, and Active Wear and Knit Wear, in addition to Senior Collection.
This year, the Senior Collection course was offered during the fall semester giving the senior design students a semester more to work on their three look collection that is their final requirement for their major.
Dulce Santillian, one of the six design students who will showcase their final collection in the show, is presenting a menswear collection, a challenge that senior design students rarely take for their senior collection.
Inspired by her personal struggle of depression, her love for the K-Pop group Big Bang, and her appreciation for men dressed in fitted clothing, Santillian is designing a collection in all black featuring genuine leather details and fabrics that were once used in previous collections by the brands Theory and Rag and Bone.
“It’s a mix of anxiety, stress, and fear. It’s an emotional period,” Santillian said of the process of designing her collection. “Making a garment takes a lot of time. Other students say ‘I thought I had it hard, but I just have to study.’ [Us designers] have to constantly be working,” Santillian said.
In addition to the garments by the students, looks by apparel design alum Concetta Cipriano, ’07, from her brand Cettina, will also be shown on the runway.
This year, the show will also feature live entertainment for the first time.
“We’re attempting to emulate the streets of Chicago as a real runway with bright lights and musical elements,” Pinkston said.
To honor Dominican University’s mission of service and community, the students will be collecting clothing donations on campus in the weeks leading up to the show to give to Brown Elephant, the resale shop at Howard Brown Health Center in Oak Park, which benefits the healthcare of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people through research, education and provision of services.
“I am looking forward to the senior collections. They have worked so hard these past four years and I am so excited to have them showcase all their hard work,” co-director Kathleen Conaghan said. “Each senior is inspired by something different and that allows for such a unique and diverse show.”
The fashion show will take place at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 2, and at 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 3 in the Lund Auditorium. Tickets are available to the public for $15 and to students for $10 at the Dominican University Performing Arts Center Box Office.
tinosara@my.dom.edu