By Chelsea Zhao
Staff Writer
Dominican University is in for an ethereal outlook of the 2022 fashion show for April 2 and 3 at 2 p.m. at Parmer Atrium.
The show will feature a range of fashion styles: business wear, active wear, men’s wear, conceptual garments, etc. A total of 85 types of garments include: satin, silk, lace, velvet, leather, organza, sequins, etc.
“We are so excited to introduce to the world these up-and-coming designers who have an amazing point of view that they are developing and sharing with the world,” fashion design and merchandising lecturer McKinley Johnson said. “Their garments are the future. We look forward to the general public visiting this exciting event that is a once-in-a-lifetime. Come and see a budding designer before he or she hits their most famous moment in the world.”
Organized by seven seniors majoring or minoring in fashion design, this year’s theme originates from a collective effort and a cohesive organization. According to Maya Villareal, senior majoring in fashion design with a minor in fashion merchandising, the seniors decided the central theme last semester from their inspiration board. Students took both FASH 446 Career Planning and Portfolio and FASH 445 Collection Design. Below are features of the designers’ collections and their thoughts for the show.
Villareal’s collection is Glistening Night. She explained its further importance in validating female identity: “Glistening Night is the brand name for the color blue. Blue only stands for the emotion a woman would feel if she were to slip into my clothing and how emotionally you would feel confident, not sad. It’s a joyful thing and I want to make every piece a beautiful feeling as soon as you put the garment on.”
Adilene Villalpando majors in fashion design with a minor in fashion merchandising. Her collection name is Royal Elements.
“My collection is based on a fantasy world and it’s for people that love to get lost in their own minds. So kind of bringing fantasy to reality. That’s why it has the transparency and solid colors. It’s a good combination of both because you’re merging the two worlds together.”
Eimee Diaz majors in Fashion Design and her collection is called Aime Mode.
“My inspiration derives from sculptural fashion and natural found on earth and coral reefs,” Diaz explained. “Overall, I just want to convey how natural in its organic state is beautiful. And women are beautiful, so I combine them to make this sophisticated collection.”
Francheliz Sanchez majors in fashion design and names her collection Angels on Earth.
“The inspiration is the angels but also my own beliefs and spirituality and connecting it to the woman and making them feel divine and feel at home with their natural beauty and being able to emphasize that by making them feel holy: adding elements of veils, mesh and sparkles to make them feel radiant and beautiful — something out of this world,” Sanchez elaborates.
Patyjazmin Ruiz majors in fashion design and fashion merchandising. Her collection name is Rocco Rebelle.
“My collection is inspired by 18th century fashion and historical events,” Ruiz details. “So I took inspiration from the royalty and what they wore but also the revolution going outside their castle. So I wanted to mix both the feminine side of the time and also the military side of it into a practical garment that can be worn today.
Epiphany Esparza majors in fashion design with a minor in graphic design. Her collection name is N-Bunny.
“It’s supposed to play off the abbreviation for non-binary: a play between masculine and feminine elements,” Esparza said. “It’s kind of like a personal collection for me; it’s on my personal experiences.”
Another student designer is Rosalinda Ramos, who majors in theology and minors in fashion design.
The ticket for the in-person show costs $15 for general public, $10 for students, and $5 for high school students. The virtual ticket costs $10 per person.
The fashion show will also feature guest designer Hailey Washington from St. Louis. Around 10 sponsors, including local stores, supported the financial side of the event. The ticket sales from the previous fashion show also helped to cover a part of the expenses.
The show comes from strenuous planning of a dedicated committee.
Nikolina Ivancevic and Celeste Morales are directors of Outdoor Show, Fundraising and Awards; Caleigh Monahan and Jacqueline Rivera manage Virtual Show, Advertising and Program. Maya Villareal and Lexi Pellegrino manage Models, Make-up, and Hair. Brittany Wilson and Leslie Perez manage Stage, Runway, Music, Photography and other Production Elements. Viridiana Delgado manages Garment Set up/Dressers.
