The Ohio State University’s SERVitecture held its annual fashion show at the Knowlton School of Architecture. The theme this year is Revival, where the organization’s Instagram said the theme explores “an improvement in the condition or strength of something.”
SERVitecture is an organization at OSU that is based around community service within the Knowlton School of Architecture. Sydney Stuermer, the current president of SERVitecture and fourth year architecture student, said that the theme of Revival closely aligns with the club’s mission.
“We as SERVitecture think that the best way to help your community and do service is to start within your own community first. So doing the show for Dress for Success, which benefits the women in Columbus. Revival kind of fits into that, because it has the ability to give women and individuals that use Dress for Success so many opportunities; so many new doors.”
SERVitecture filled the runway with different panels that could reflect shadows and light. Stuermer talked about incorporating the department’s skill set within the runway.
“I think this year we're focusing on how we can actually physically construct the set and use our architecture/landscape architecture skills within that…How can we add those elements that the students are actually doing for school into the club?”
Farida Abdellatif, a third year architecture student and a part of SERVitecture’s Executive Board, said that the team came up with many ideas before settling on Revival as the theme.
“We had a lot of ideas that we wanted to do, but I think Revival was the most bold theme that we were thinking about — just bringing back all of these cultures and all of these eras back to Revival.”
This year, SERVitecture introduced five fabulous and unique designers, each with special stories and experiences to contribute to the runway.
ARANTXA LITUMA and GINA SILVESTRI
Fourth year architecture students Arantxa Lituma and Gina Silvestri worked together to create organic designs for this year’s theme.
“I think we both wanted to make it more abstract, so we thought about the cycle of life; how we live and then we die, and then like we rebirth, like a memory,” Silvestri said. “Memory is a form of revival…memory can be fragmented, but also organic. Like our flower look was based on the organic forms of revival, and then the black look was relating a lot more to death and the fragmentation of memory.”
When asked about their biggest challenges, Lituma reflected on transitioning from an architectural perspective to a fabric-oriented lens.
“I think we had something planned in our minds, like geometric figures; architecture figures — and then once we started doing it, we realized…our sketches were actually not coming to life.”
Silvestri had her own perspective: “We're so used to 3D modeling forms and then those, like, precisely translating into models that are physical, but designing these was a bit more challenging.”
Despite the challenges, their spectacular designs ultimately pulled through, as Lituma and Silvestri were awarded the People’s Choice Award and the Judge’s Choice Award.
“I think that the fashion show is such a cool way to also realize that architects work with their hands as well,” Silvestri said. “Like sometimes we're kind of glued to the screen. And like producing things that are so precise…usually in your hands. I think that's something that everyone should take away, especially designers.”
Lituma said that there are surprising connections within the world of fashion: “What I can get from this show is [that] architects can be, like, more than architects. They can be actually designers in every sense.”
NIKULITA BRUMBAUGH
Having heard about SERVitecture’s fashion show from a friend, 25-year-old fashion designer Nikulita Brumbaugh was inspired to create Palestinian-inspired pieces to showcase.
“It just made me think about, like, reviving what's going on right now in the world and for all of us to go back home to our homeland,” she said.
All of Brumbaugh’s models were born in Palestine, and she was born in Romania.
“All of my models that I chose, none of them were born here and I wasn't born here, either. So, to me, this collection represents us returning to our homeland. And that's where I got Revival from, because it means the improvement and the condition of something.”
Brumbaugh utilized recycled materials to create her pieces, many of them telling specific stories through each of the outfits.
“I used a lot of, recycled, almost, trash that I've been collecting. So, I used a lot of plastic bags, plastic bottles [and] paper,” she said. “We used recycled hospital scrubs in one of the garments because it's really specific to the story it tells. We also used a lot of recycled yarn and then we just used an upcycled old military jacket as well. So really just focusing on being sustainable rather than buying new fabrics and stuff. I was like, let's just use what we already have in the world and upcycle all of it.”
After spending weeks bringing her designs to life, Brumbaugh was able to showcase her outfits to a crowd of over 100 people.
“I want everyone to see that for 76 years, we have stood and we have witnessed the indestructibility of Palestine and the indestructibility of our faith, and that one day, we are going to return back home.”
ELYSE and OLIVIA JACKSON
Inspired by the theme Revival, sisters Olivia and Elyse Jackson, a third-year architecture student and law student, respectively, channeled the power of Renaissance heroines into their fiery, gold-accented designs for SERVitecture’s fashion show.
“I immediately started thinking about these really intense Renaissance paintings of women who are killing men,” Olivia said. “I was just like, you know what? I feel like we need to really invigorate the passion of these paintings…the way that it was kind of taboo.”
Their collection featured dramatic silhouettes — from a burgundy gown with a regal train to a silver piece adorned with hand-cut lily motifs, each outfit was crafted to tell its own story. The designer’s personality flowed through each piece.
“I feel like we kind of put pieces of ourselves into what we've made,” Elyse said. “Olivia let me know last night as we were kind of working on things into the wee hours of the night that, gosh, this piece looks a lot like you and that it's strong, bright feathers, but there's still these muted black tones and things that kind of bring it down a little bit to earth. We don't like backing down from the things that we love, no matter how audacious or flamboyant they are.”
Although this was their second year participating, the sisters faced a fresh challenge. This time, they blended new materials with upcycled treasures, reusing around 65% of their materials with everything from thrifted fabrics to foam scraps.
“We’re resourceful,” Olivia said. “If we have it, we’ll make it work.”
The sister-designer duo’s creative process mirrored their personalities. Olivia meticulously planned each design on her iPad, while Elyse embraced freeform draping. Despite their differing methods, they pieced together four unique designs with ease.
When asked what they hoped the audience would remember, Elyse emphasized passion: “I think that we have pieces that are loud, and we love that. We are, in different ways, loud, and we are very brave in the way that we go about things, and I want them to see it in our pieces. I don't want them to go, okay, yeah, that's like a safe piece, like a nice piece. I want them to go, yeah, they came in with the horns, and they have fun pieces that are thought out and interesting.”
Olivia had her own thoughts: “I'd want people to remember that these were very different. Maybe it's not what you typically see, and maybe you might not understand the message…that means these pieces made you feel something, and I really want people to feel something. So I'd want them to remember how you felt, and what it might inspire you to do.”
This year, SERVitecture was able to raise over $800 to donate to Dress for Success in Columbus. These five designers brought stories, grit and inspiration for the audience.
