On May 11, Mount Mary fashion design students took to the runway to present their collections for hundreds of family, friends, and fashionistas. Hosted at the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee, the students put on three shows in one day (a logistical feat in itself) so that as many guests as possible could see their wares.
With more than 100 looks from about 45 designers who hand-selected approximately 45 models, there was certainly a lot of garments to take in. Looks ranged from Victorian military-style wool coats and dresses, to coral beachwear, colorblocked sheaths, and evening gowns (an emerald green floor-length gown particularly stood out).
Laura Bavlnka, a sophomore, presented one look – a fitted khaki and purple batik print racerback dress with an uneven hem. The khaki fabric was repurposed from a cotton dress from the Salvation Army, and she was modeling the finished look herself (one feature of the sophomore fashion design classes is that the students must cut clothes to fit only their own form. Different sizes can be attemped in their junior and senior years). When it was Bavlnka’s turn on the runway, the asymettrical hemline caught in the air as she walked, adding unexpected and appealing volume.
The theme of the show “evoke” was apparent throughout and hammered home by the short introductions read aloud before different categories of collections – “vintage romance,” “proportion and balance,” “chilling out,” to name a few. The show was organized by the fashion show coordination students, plus faculty and an entire production team. It was a professional job done by what could soon be Wisconsin’s next set of fashion professionals.
