On April 22nd, 2023, Ohio State’s Fashion Production Association put on their long-anticipated fashion show. This year’s theme was Rebirth, and featured 15 designers as well as their perception of new beginnings and the transformative power of fashion.
The show began with Michelle Kerr’s collection, the Roaring 20s. In her collection, she chose to highlight the 1920s style with a strong motif of pearls and fringed fabric. This piece embodied the theme of rebirth as she took something from a century ago and modified it to fit today’s day and age.
Following up was Ouroboros, named after a dragon that eats its own tail, stuck in a constant cycle of rebirth. The designer, Jiana Trizzino, used shimmery garnet fabric and even designed a piece that mimics dragon scales.
Lena Wu, Levana Wu, and Sophia Kortan showcased their collection, the Rose That Grew From The Concrete. Their collection intertwined reds and golds, with roses adorning the pieces. Their collection highlighted the beauty of growing through difficult times, hence the name. Their piece was influenced by a poem by Tupac.
Models next showcased Mushrooms, designed by Molly Gurik. Molly wanted to display her perception of rebirth through decomposition and decay, and did so with her enchanting and pixie-esque looks. Three models displayed her collection beautifully.
Tamia Duke’s collection, OvHERlooked, was next to come down the runway. Her collection was inspired by Black Culture in the 90s and hip-hop era. Tamia also worked to highlight the feminine silhouette which was often times not highlighted during this time period.
Butterfly is the next collection, designed by Liz Slywka. Butterflies are oftentimes a symbol of rebirth, and Liz wanted to display what the theme meant to her. Patchwork pieces of electric blues, fuchsias, and black took the audience by storm as the models walked the runway.
Following this piece was Noor Abukaram and Elyssa Jones’s collection, titled Harlem Renaissance. Their take on the rebirth theme was to take a time period from decades ago and combine the styles with modern-day street style. Lots of layered pieces could be seen in their collection.
Models modeling Theresa Le Pham’s and Matthew Turnquest’s collection, titled Lunares, came down the runway next. This three-part collection embodied the moon, highlighting the colors of the moon (white, black, and gray), and featured the motifs of curves that are also present in the moon.
Next, Brianna Roemmele’s piece entitled Resilience came down the runway. Her piece wanted to capture how it feels to grow up. She began with a piece that was more naïve, working her way up to a piece that was more of an embodiment of the teenage spirit. To Brianna, rebirth is the process of maturing and going through life’s ups and downs.
Following was Aviva, a collection designed by both Cing San Huai and Alejandra Zaldivar. Their piece had elements of spring, highlighting cherry blossoms blooming and a nature-y look. Their collection symbolizes rebirth through the idea that spring brings hope and new beginnings.
Keona Sakai took elements of her Japanese culture and the lotus flower, in her collection which she titled Lotus Flower. The audience could see the opening and closing of the flower through her pieces as they came down the runway.
Following Keona’s collection was Ajah Rowell’s collection, entitled Rebirth of the Day. Her 3-piece collection highlighted the different colors of the day, from the lovely oranges and yellows of the morning, to the beautiful navies and purples of the nights.
Following up was Alex Trimbley’s collection, called Anthozoa. Alex wanted to capture their childhood dream of becoming a marine biologist. They intertwined their pieces with crocheted pieces that symbolized coral. Their collection was versatile; model Paige Kadar demonstrated how her crocheted piece could be adjusted as she moved down the runway.
Carolyn Ready presented her collection: Cross Culture. Her collection took inspiration from Indian fashion, with stunning textiles from India. The models sparkled in the light as they walked the runway in the beautiful pieces.
The show ended with a grand finale of Venus, by Ella Kalis. Her piece was inspired by the Renaissance painting “The Birth of Venus” and the Little Mermaid. Her collection highlighted the female form with stunningly beautiful form-fitting pieces and ended with a beautiful cobalt ball gown, symbolizing the rebirth of Venus from sea foam.
The Fashion Production Association at Ohio State did a wonderful job hosting their first in-person fashion show since the pandemic, and the hard work of all the participants was so incredibly evident. I am so excited to see what the future holds for OSU’s Fashion Production Association!
