Fashion Program

minuit désert

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The Genesee Community College 34th annual fashion show is something special to me. This is the third time that I’ve participated in the GCC fashion show as a fashion student. In January 2013, I came to GCC from Japan to study fashion business.

My first year I had the opportunity to be a model for Candace Cooper’s scene. In my second year, I worked as a dresser for Abby Wilcox and Quintessa Wallace’s scene. During those two years, I learned that a fashion show consists of more than the flawless runway that attracts so many people. You can never imagine what the backstage is like unless you are there. And now, this year, I have the opportunity to work as a coordinator for designer Tiffany Hill. Our scene is called “minuit désert” which means midnight desert in French. I am very excited about doing this as my final project for my fashion course because this is what I’ve always wanted to do ever since I was in Japan.

Happily, Tiffany trusted my judgements and decisions in finding models, a makeup artist, and a jewelry company. which was easier than I thought.

Na’kaylas Jewelry Box www.nakaylasjewelrybox.com

Na’kaylas Jewelry Box http://www.nakaylasjewelrybox.com

New to the GCC fashion show this year is Na’kaylas Jewelry Box. This jewelry company is run by an amazing woman, Mishay Linthecome, who recently started her own business. As an employee, Mishay has used ambition and dedication to help other businesses build success and popularity. She soon realized that she could implement those same skills to her own company to help build success and popularity of her own. Out with the old, in with the new came to the New Year and in January of 2015 Mishay launched her very own jewelry company. The name of the company was inspired by her daughter. I cannot wait to present this collaboration with Na’kaylas Jewelry Box and T. Lashaé!

This blog was contributed by Fashion Merchandising Student Chiho Nakayama.

Model Behavior

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The 34th Annual Fashion Show at Genesee Community College is called “Fata Morgana”. For my part in the fashion show, I am working back of the house, as well as modeling in Ami Cornell and Kylie Dunn’s scene titled “Festival Haze”. As part of my back stage duties, I am responsible for helping dress the models and memorizing the order of the scenes, as well as cleaning up the back stage and dressing room area and keeping everyone back stage silent during the show. As for my role as a model, I will be featured in the scene “Festival Haze”, which was inspired by summer festivals, such as “Coachella”. I am extremely excited to not only have been asked to model but to also have the opportunity to participate both behind the scenes and on stage. I am excited to get to see all of the different viewpoints of the show, on the stage and off.

I feel that this is a very important experience that I can use, as I pursue a career in fashion. This experience will be something that I can use on my resume and gives me insight on different aspects of the fashion world. I have modeled previously for still photography, and now I have the opportunity to gain experience in backstage production and what is involved, as well as being a model on the runway. I hope that with this experience I will become more confident and use what I will learn in the future to come.

This blog was contributed by Fashion Merchandising Student Morgan Ripley.

Bare

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Its that time of year again! That’s right, the GCC 34th annual fashion show is right around the corner. I had the privilege of interning, and modeling for Alaina Shannon in her scene “Americana” in the 2014 GCC fashion show, Ethereal. I was able to get a taste of what it takes to participate in a fashion show. This year I am able to showcase my own fashion design skills. My scene is called “Bare by Jocelyn Eade”. Myself and my scene coordinator, Eunice GoEun Park, are excited to show what we’ve been working so hard on this year. I am grateful to have the opportunity to experience what it takes to produce a scene in a fashion show.

My main inspiration were colors we see in nature; the color palette is lavender, beige, black, and white. I grew up in the small town of Olean, New York which is just south of GCC. Growing up surrounded by nature has inspired me to put that into my clothing. For the Lavender pieces I was inspired by lavender fields, I love how peaceful they look. The beige pieces reminded me of fur, very soft and effortless. My black pieces were influenced by storms, a very sultry look. For my last color white, I was inspired by clouds. I want the audience to feel the inspiration when they see my clothes on the runway. Whether it’s the peaceful lavender, or light and airy clouds I want them to feel like they’re with nature. I’m looking forward to showcasing my designs in GCC’s fashion show “Fata Morgana” and to experience what it is like to be a designer in the fashion industry.

yoo.jpgThis blog was contributed by Fashion Design Student Jocelyn Eade.

T.LaShaé

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untitled (27 of 50)Tiffany Hill: outgoing, talented, strong, and beautiful are all words that have been commonly used to describe me as I was growing up, until now. As a child I had two dreams, the first was to
become a first grade teacher and the second was to be a fashion designer in New York. Unfortunately as a child I had already defeated myself because I decided to strive to become a teacher, constantly telling myself that becoming a designer
would be competitive and too difficult. As I got older, there was just something about fashion that I could not stay away from. Every time someone would see me they would ask, “Are you a model?” or they would tell me, “You need to be in fashion school”. Hearing people say these things made me dig deeper into finding out what was my actual dream and purpose. Now, as a proud student at GCC I can definitely say that I am following my dream and purpose as an upcoming designer working towards producing my own clothing line.

With this dream I have many visions, my clothing line being one. My logo was recently designed by someone who is like a family member to me, Justin Smith. He designed a logo that best fits me. The T stands for Tiffany and LaShaé is my middle name. T.LaShaé to me is classy, sophisticated and represents high fashion.

In this year’s Spring 2015 fashion show, I have the honor of bringing my scene to life on the runway. The name of my scene is Minuit Désert, which is in French, translating to midnight desert. I have such an amazing team that I am working with. My Co-Producer is Chiho Nakayama, my intern is Shantina Brewer, hair will be styled by Cosmetologist Mary Valenti, make-up will be by Professional MUA Monti Mccoy, and my Dressers are Hailey Rizzo and Matthew Wagner. Lastly, I am very thankful to be working with a jewelry company, Na’kaylas Jewelry Box, which is helping bring our vision to life with the beautiful pieces that will be incorporated within our scene. Minuit Désert by T.LaShaé is bringing life and something different to the runway, we cannot wait to see you all at the fashion show!

This blog was contributed by Fashion Design Student Tiffany Hill.

Transcendence

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My name is Sara Elliott and I am currently a sophomore in the Fashion Merchandising program at Genesee Community College. I am extremely excited and proud to be a part of such a successful program, and feel privileged that I will soon join the ranks of other fashion graduates from GCC. This year marks the 34th year that GCC has hosted the largest fashion show in western NY and my role in this years show titled Fata Morgana is Front of the house committee as well as have a scene with Fashion design student Angelique Porey titled Transcendence. So, in Great representation of Fata Morgana come experience the ultimate transcendence from human to creature in our own interpretation of a superior mirage.

Join us Saturday April 25th for Fata Morgana: Genesee Community College’s 34th annual fashion show. Tickets are $5 pre-sale and $7 at the door. Show times are at 3pm & 7pm.

This blog was contributed by Fashion Merchandising Student Sara Elliott.

Oasis

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Anyone who has a scene for this years fashion show can tell you that there are some good days and some not so good ones. Making progress by contracting your hair and makeup artists, securing models, buying fabric, or even finishing a dress are things that happen on a good day. Having a scene entails a ton of hard work that not everyone may realize.

11051511_10206351818418441_79517740_n (1)My scene is called Oasis. I was inspired by Arabic fashions and culture, you will see this through the use of flowing fabrics and my intricate use of detail. My scene will consist of fourteen evening gowns. As of now, I have purchased all of my fabrics and have a few dresses in progress. GCC student Kana Tatsumi will be creating jewelry for my scene as well. Her brand is “Jenny Minette”; be sure to check out her jewelry line on Facebook!

11050962_10206351818858452_929050979_n (1) I have contracted all of my models, and I am excited to share that 2014’s National American Miss New York winner, Olenka Masny, will be modeling for my scene! She is an experienced model who has walked in many fashion shows and I am very excited to work with her.

I am also excited to write that I have contracted very talented hair and makeup artists for the show. Amanda Marsala is an extremely talented makeup artist from the Western NY area. You can check out her Instagram @almarsala , you won’t be disappointed! My hair artist’s name is David Gerard. He did the hair for my scene “Glorious” last year and did a fabulous job; I am thrilled to work with him again this year!

So many great things are happening for me so far and I am quickly developing a strong team for this year’s fashion show. I know that there will be some bumps along the way, but in the end when the models walk down the runway it will be all worth it!

This blog was contributed by Entrepreneurship Student Abby Wilcox.

BRI~JHN

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A Fashion Show, an event at which collections of newly designed clothing are modeled for an audience. “Fata Morgana,” the theme for this year ‘s 34th Annual fashion show at Genesee Community College, is set for April 25th, 2015. As a fashion Design Student, I will take part in the vogue show presenting my own scene. This will be my second year participating in the event; last year I was a model in another design student’s scene. Last year’s show was such an engaging experience for me that I decided to create a vision for my own exclusive line.

This year I will produce my own scene entitled, “BRI~JHN,” which is a collaboration of my name, “Brittany,” and my little sister’s name, “Jhnae”. My little sister also served as an inspiration for my ideas; her personality is a mix of cool and unique and she has a style similar to the Olsen Twins, Rita Ora, and the fashions of the 1970’s era. The concept of my scene is Bohemian Baja, which includes garments with flowy elements, fringe, and loose fitting clothing with spunk. The fabrics that will be featured in my scene are lace, cotton, and jacquard, which are the top picks for the looks I’m going for in my show. The color palette I will be using will feature neutral tones with a pop of color. An example of this would be a navy blue garment with a hot pink accessory to give it a unique quality.

The image I want my audience to capture from my collection is “Dress Out Loud,” which is freedom of clothing, colors, and being true to you. I hope to have a successful show with my Design team. My goal is to show the world what “Beebe” has to offer, a fresh unique sense of self, and style.

This blog was contributed by Fashion Design Student Brittany Breedlove.

Fata Morgana

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With the fall semester coming to fruition, and the spring semester in our midst, planning for the annual fashion show has begun. This April, the annual fashion show at Genesee Community College will ring in its 34th year, and is expected to be the largest show yet! With that in mind, the Fashion students of GCC have curated a theme that will surely leave their audiences inspired. This year’s show will be entitled Fata Morgana. A Fata Morgana is defined as a rapidly changing and complex form of superior mirage/optical phenomenon that is seen in the narrow band right above the horizon.They determined Fata Morgana to be an excellent choice of theming for this year’s fashion show due to its timely mention in an issue of Women’s Wear Daily and the large presence of desert themes within the Spring 2015 clothing collections. The fashion students then related the idea of Fata Morgana to the cultural diversification of the widespread desert environments within the w10940620_10205918014689147_6156977377827682419_norld, and a fashion show like no other was born. Fata Morgana, the 34th annual fashion show at Genesee Community College will occur Saturday, April 25th, 2015. Explore the hashtag #GCC34FM to stay up-to-date on all things Fata Morgana!

If you’re interested in modeling in the Fata Morgana fashion show, tryouts will occur Wednesday, February 4th in T102 from 12-3 PM and Thursday, February 5th in the Forum from 12:30-2:00 PM.

If modeling isn’t really your “thing” and you wish to contribute your skills to/attend the annual fashion show at GCC please contact Ami Cornell at acornel4@my.genesee.edu or Ariana Sneed at asneed@my.genesee.edu.

-Ami Cornell

A New Point Of View

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Charles Men’s shop is a family owned and operated business that has been Batavia’s number one choice for fine men’s clothing since the store’s creation in 1947. The store has an excellent reputation within the local community, as well as within Genesee Community College. For these reasons, I was explicitly overjoyed when offered the opportunity to intern as a visual merchandising coordinator at Charles Men’s Shop. I considered this a great opportunity to improve my skills within designing window displays, as I am set to take the visual display class in the next eight-week session at GCC.

Maggie's First Window Display at Charles Men's Shop.

Maggie’s First Window Display at Charles Men’s Shop.

Before going into set up my first window display I had very little experience doing any task of this kind. I was terrified of failing or of letting anyone down. I researched hours-upon-hours, looking at different color palettes popular for fall menswear, as well as observing a variety of window displays online. I took advice from anywhere I could get it; I was told to find a theme or direction in order to make the execution of my vision easier. I also spoke to Maggie, a current freshman in the Fashion Business Merchandising program at GCC, and current visual merchandising intern at Charles Men’s Shop. Maggie had told me that her first window theme would center around indoor fall theming which she phrased as, “Antiqued fall elegance.” Maggie captured her vision perfectly within her window space.

I however took an alternate route. I executed a theme inspired by the outdoor beauty of fall and the sense of community it can create through local sporting events and other active interests. I received a plethora of support and guidance from the Men’s shop staff, Kristen and Don, as well as from my fashion professors, Professor Dudkowski and Professor Ehrhart. I was appreciative of any constructive criticism or suggestions they had for me, as I felt lost in this brand new world. I’m still finding my way when it comes to creating displays for Charles Men’s Shop; recently I took on the task of creating a table display as well.

My First Table Display at Charles Men's Shop.

My First Table Display at Charles Men’s Shop.

Though I find this job to be challenging, I am interested and excited to strengthen valuable and necessary skill-sets within myself. If it were not for the excellent professors and connections I have access to at Genesee Community College I may never had earned an opportunity of this caliber. I am incredibly grateful to have this chance to grow, and cannot wait to see where this opportunity takes me in the not-so-far future.

Bridal Scene – Eternal Inspiration

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Eternal Inspiration featured brides, groomsmen, bridesmaids, and a junior bridesmaid in Fashion Forward on April 27th. The gowns that were donated to this scene were completely transformed into new designs that any fashion forward bride would be inspired by. The tuxes by tuxedo junction gave our men a sharp classic look, with an edgy twist. Our first design was a peacock inspired gown by Karen Sessonna, Karen designed this gown to act as a peacock and transform itself on the runway.

Designed By Karen Sessanna Model Lindsey Visser & Sean Allen

Designed By Karen Sessanna
Model Lindsey Visser & Sean Allen

This next gown was created by Jill Kowalczewski to look like the sketch featured on our tickets and posters.

Designed by Jill Kowalczewski Model: Taylor Lauricella

Designed by Jill Kowalczewski
Model: Taylor Lauricella

“The Queen” was dyed by Samantha Vogt and designed by Jill Kowalczewski. This ombre gown features the classic costume imagery of a queen.

Designed By Jill Kowalczewski Models: Megan Fowler & Christian Hoffmann

Designed By Jill Kowalczewski
Models: Megan Fowler & Christian Hoffmann

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Special Thanks to everyone who contributed to my scene, I couldn’t have done it without you!!!