Students show off new designs in “Express Yourself” fashion show
Saddleback College’s McKinney Theatre was filled with a loud cheering audience last Thursday night for the fashion merchandising class’ fashion show, “Express Yourself.”
The student-organized show included industry professionals, as well as a DJ and the Saddleback student film crew.
“Express Yourself,” featured an exhibition created by students in the fashion department. Awards were given in the categories of corset, fantasy, ready-to-wear and evening wear.
The show started with a dance performance by the Boomkaz Dance Crew. The theme for this year’s show had an urban Hip-Hop flavor.
Once the performance was completed, the models wearing the student designs walked the runway to music that featured a selection of mixed tracks from Jay-Z, Rihanna, Lil Wayne and Kanye West, along with other artists from the Hip-Hop and R&B genre.
The first theme of show was corset, followed by fantasy, continued on with ready to wear and finished with evening wear.
After the exhibition ended the show, there was a raffle, while the judges deliberated in their choices for best of show.
Marc Martinez won best in the show, which included a $500 in cash prize.
“I’m very happy to be here,” Martinez said. “I don’t think I have an inspiration, they were all class projects and I simply try to do the best I can.”
Martinez’s explained the inspiration to one of his award winning designs.
“I generally start with a print before I start making the shape of the dress,” Martinez said. “This [winning] dress is inspired by the Greek boy Icarus, and his story of making wax wings with feathers. I’m also very inspired by flowers and bright colors and pink. It’s really more of an aethethic that inspires me, for example I start with a print before I start the shape of the dress.”
Martinez plans to use his skills to audition for Project Runway in the near future.
The ready-to-wear second-place winner was Marie Wensel, 29, fashion merchandise said, “I generally start with pattern and go about that, and how it inspires me. I generally have a theme, a lot of my work is fish and ocean inspired, but my style changes every semester. I started sewing a few years ago and I think it’s a great blend of style and thinking”
Wensel plans on acquiring a career as either a fashion designer or as pattern maker in the fashion industry, upon completing her fashion merchandise certificate.
The aesthetic style and musical selection of the show was put together by the production crew for weeks, and it involved a lot of planning and communication.
Production Crew member Adriana Ortiz, 20, fashion production commented on her involvement.
“Everything was picked out by the whole group,” Ortiz said. “We all decided what will go on the wall. Pretty much we all designed it. Everything was up to the group.”
“The style was choosen first and the selection of music was choosen during the middle of the development of the show. The choice of music was based on where the taste in music is at right now,” Ortiz said. “The highlights and colors for the show were also made based on where the taste of the fashion world is at right now, so we are brought that into the show.”
Brian Rodriguez (“DJ ADM”), 20, business, and musical partner Christian Delagado, 24, enjoyed the audience reaction to their blend of underground hip-hop and dubstep.
“The people dancing to the music, and them nodding their heads got us hyped,” Rodriguez said. “That helps us get more into it and put more energy into it.”
He continued, “We put a little bit of everything: a little bit of pop, a little bit of hip-hop and little bit of old school funk, and hoping everyone likes it. The reaction we got tonight we got was a pretty good vibe from the music and we are pretty proud of that they [audience] goes home happy.”