As many of you may know, there are only seventeen more days until the fashion show that everyone has been working so hard to produce. Designers have been finishing their last garments, and merchandisers as well as designers are busy with rehearsals and finalizing their scenes in order to ensure success. The hospitality students are busy working on the Fata Morgana reception, hand making all of the decorations, and making it look like you have stepped into a middle eastern marketplace.

But where did my interest in fashion begin? It all started back when I was a kid. I loved seeing the Oscars’ Red Carpet and seeing all the actresses “glammed-up” with their dresses and accessories. Then I thought, “hey, I’ve always had a creative mind.” I wondered what it would be like to design for my favorite actresses who win Oscars for roles that they’ve played.

As a part of producing the 34th annual fashion show, Fata Morgana, I serve as part of the Back of the House Committee. My job is to make sure that all of the dressing rooms are set up the Friday before the show. The next thing we must do is make sure that all models are getting their hair and makeup done by ten A.M. on Saturday, April 25th. Next, we must make sure we know the scene lineup in order, and make sure before Show Time that no models have gum in their mouths, because in the world of modeling, it’s unprofessional. Being a part of back of the house is very important because we take care of the things people don’t see to ensure that this fashion show is planned accordingly and people have a fun and enjoyable experience.

Designer, Candace Cooper, and Coordinator, Ariana Sneed, during the Ethereal Fashion Show

I had the pleasure last year to intern for the best scene of the 33rd annual fashion show Ethereal. The scene name was called ÉCLAT XXIIV and the head designer was GCC superstar Candace Cooper and coordinator Ariana Sneed. Interning for that scene gave me a lot of experience to see what it was like first-hand to produce a college level fashion show. The day of the show I did whatever Candace or Ariana needed me to do because I knew how important the show was to Candace and how much work she had put into her scene. I remember that she was in the sewing room day and night working on her pieces, and I could understand why it was so important.

My next role in producing this year’s fashion show, Fata Morgana, is being on an interning team for Da-vid Simmons. Her scene is called Inevitable, which means certain to happen or unavoidable. The garments featured will be merchandised women’s clubwear clothing. My roles as far as helping DJ is to help her with whatever she needs the day of the show and to assist during rehearsals as well. When it comes time for the show I’m going to make sure that Inevitable truly is one of the best scenes because I have the pleasure of being friends with the head coordinator Da-vid and I know how important the success of this scene is to her.

Fashion to me is everything. It’s the career I want to have and pursue. Fashion is about being trendy but having the ability to have your own style too, which I think is important for everyone to have. I know that once we (the whole production class) take our bow we will know that we helped in making the 34th annual fashion show a huge success and weights will be lifted off of our shoulders.

My future plans after GCC involve transferring to Buffalo State in order to study Fashion merchandising. In the summer I plan to develop scene ideas to present and hopefully get the chance to produce one for the 2016 Buffalo State fashion show.

This blog was contributed by Fashion Student Patrick Szpylman.