UA’s Fashion For Life Features Senior Apparel Design Collections

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — University of Alabama apparel design students will showcase their senior collections in the fifth annual Fashion for Life.

The show, which is open to students taking the final design course in the apparel and textile design major and is the main project for the course, gives the seniors an opportunity to showcase their ideas to an audience that includes their peers, family and friends.

Each student was tasked with creating a collection of up to 10 looks based on his design philosophy, said Brian Taylor, an instructor in the College of Human Environmental Sciences’ department of clothing, textiles, and interior design and show coordinator.

“It is a collection that represents who they are as a designer and where they hope to go after graduation,” he said.

The students began working on these collections months before the classroom doors opened this fall. During the summer, they were allowed to do collection research, source fabric and trim, sketch and develop their collection. When school started, they completed a garment every two weeks to be ready for the weekend’s big unveiling.

“The process begins with the inspiration and story of the collection,” Taylor said. “Once the designer gets inspired, they create a collection around this concept.”

Students then develop fabric and color patterns along with sketching  each piece.  They create a pattern based on their model’s measurements and then sew a mock-up garment, or prototype, out of muslin, which is an inexpensive fabric. Once this is fitted on the model, adjustments are made to the pattern if needed, then the actual garment is cut and sewn out of the real fabric.

“It will mean a great deal for them to see their visions come to life on the runway,” Taylor said. “Handling the pressure of creating the collection, working under tight deadlines, managing models and styling their own looks is a great deal of work and stress. I think once they see it all come together on the runway, they will walk away feeling very proud.”

The design showcase will take place at 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 17, at the Ferguson Center ballroom; doors open at 4 p.m. Tickets are $5 per person; all proceeds will benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.