With exactly one month left until the 34^th annual GCC Fashion Show, titled “Fata Morgana,” one could say the fashion majors have been stricken with anxiety, excitement, and disturbing amounts of caffeine. We no longer understand the meaning of sleep and those relaxing midday talks with our friends over lunch are but a distant memory.

I am no survivor of this epidemic. As a solo scene coordinator for the opening scene I have a lot riding on my shoulders. On top of planning memorable choreography and being a member of the Back of House committee, I am also designing and producing ten unique outfits to send down the runway. The stress level is intense and sleep deprivation has already ensued. Though it is easy to focus on the negatives, the positive vibes heavily outweigh my inhibitions. I’ve known since I was eight years old that I wanted to spend my life as a fashion designer and nothing has changed my mind thus far.

My scene’s title is “Battlefield,” and is motivated by life’s obstacles and the strong women who overcome them. Whether it was illness, the loss of a loved one, or a break up, everyone has conquered something, making them a warrior in life’s battlefield. Much of the artistic inspiration came from personal photographs taken in the Arms and Armory department of New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. I was taken back by the intricacy and attention to detail in each and every piece. Aesthetically, my pieces are very simple and I don’t accessorize, as to not take away from my art. This contradicts the very things that attracted me to my inspiration, but I see it as taking the best parts of my muse and making them mine. Each outfit has a gold piece to symbolize the daily armor we all wear as protection from pain, loss, and vulnerability. I truly believe that I am more than a fashion designer, I am an artist and everything I do should have meaning behind it.

I’ve never been more proud of myself than with the work I’ve done so far in the fashion program. Tears of relief, happiness, and nostalgia will follow my last model off the runway as I step onto it myself to thank all of those who have supported me. What a fantastic way to end my last year at Genesee Community College.

This blog was contributed by Fashion Design Student Amber Coan.