FAST 2021 Runway Show: Designer Spotlights

As the school year comes to a close, one of the many things to be excited about is FAST’s annual runway show! The FAST runway show is an amazing way to celebrate and experience the creativity of our fellow student designers and see how the models bring their creations to life. This year, the show will virtually feature collections from 12 student designers. I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with some of this year’s designers to get a preview of their collections, insight into their creative process, and learn the stories behind their designs. Here’s what they had to say:

Nic Chu

Instead of creating full outfits, Nic focused his designs on making statement pieces by airbrushing artwork onto pre-made garments. His collection was heavily inspired by his love of anime and the culture surrounding it. For Nic, the essence of anime inspired him to create his own universe through clothes. In his designs, he made a lot of reference to the artwork from the shows to capture their other worldliness and encapsulate escapism. Most of the artwork in his collection were references to the shows he watches, such as Naruto and Hunter x Hunter, but he also had original artwork made for this collection by his girlfriend. His collection is an amazing culmination of the designs he’s made this past year, and it reflects his journey towards creating his own vision.

Sabrina Costa 

Sabrina’s designs take on a really fun and colorful floral theme for the Spring. She pulled a lot of inspiration from designers she admires. The most rewarding part of the design process for her is towards the end when she sees her pieces come together and complement each other. One of her favorite pieces in her collection is a blue ball gown she designed that reminds her of Cinderella. She originally designed the dress when she was sixteen, so being able to redesign and add on to it was a really special experience for her.

Chizaram Iwuanyanu

Chizaram’s collection, “Motherland,” is her way of expressing her love for Nigerian culture and clothing. She tells me, “I really want to showcase the light that is Africa and change people’s perceptions of it. There are so many vibrant and beautiful cultures there, and it never gets shown in the mainstream media.” Instead of drawing inspiration from Nollywood films, she chose to incorporate more traditional patterns, fabrics, and colors into her designs. Chizaram describes her collection as a fusion of Nigerian culture and modern trends. Her use of vibrant colors and intricate patterns are quite beautiful, and her collection even showcases unique designs from Nigeria!

Sofia Chang

Sofia describes her collection as a reflection and reinterpretation of her childhood through the lens of the unique experiences she has had growing up. Her designs were inspired by pop culture, specifically all the new artists she discovered this past year online (mostly from Instagram and Pinterest). She collected a lot of fabric swatches, magazine clippings, and drew a bunch of little sketches and doodles in her journal. One of her favorite parts of the design process was being able to recreate her sketches into real life. She crocheted much of her collection, so it is super rewarding for her to see her vision come to life.

Lauryn Ilasco 
Lauryn’s collection, “Playing Dress Up”, makes me feel so nostalgic with her references to Hello Kitty, Polly Pocket, and Squinkies! Her designs represent the playfulness of childhood, and they really embody the looks we experiment with when we dress up for fun. Her designs were inspired by things she loved as a child. One of her favorite pieces in her collection is a strawberry long sleeve shirt that was inspired by her favorite pair of leg warmers when she was a kid. Lauryn wanted to convey through her collection that it’s okay and it’s cool to go back to things you used to like. With how hectic our lives are now, it’s important to comfort ourselves with the things that bring us joy, and there’s no better way to do that than through nostalgia. 

Caroline Hersman 

Caroline’s collection is heavily influenced by 90s fashion, movies, music, and television. Her inspirations came from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and her childhood in Maine, but most of all, they came from her mom. This collection was a really interesting and almost therapeutic process for Caroline; she claimed that it is a physical manifestation of everything that has been going on in her subconscious this past year. As she was creating the line, she didn’t have a concrete idea of what she was going to make besides the fact that she wanted it to be very 90s-esque and vintage. Her designs ended up being a reflection of the shows and music she was listening to, as well as her mom’s style. Her classic and chic designs are very reminiscent of the 90s, and they definitely capture the youthfulness of the era.

Bisola Amudipe 

Bisola drew inspiration from Nigeran culture, specifically from Nollywood films that she grew up watching with her family. Her collection is also influenced by the Y2K aesthetic, blending the styles of the early 2000s with ankara fabric, a popular wax-type fabric from Africa. Bisola also emphasizes sustainability in her collection by using upcycled fabrics. In one of her designs, she incorporated shoelaces into the skirt as a way to accessorize and hold the skirt together!

Roxanne Ohayon and Marissa Shankar

Roxanne and Marissa created a collection celebrating women and femininity. They used imagery from the Renaissance and Impressionist eras. They were not only inspired by the aesthetics and art of the Renaissance period but also the scientific discoveries. Their collection truly embodies elements of Renaissance art and the cosmological philosophies that emerged during the time period. Every outfit they created incorporates the characteristics of celestial bodies and are made to embody a planet. The influence of Impressionism is also evident in their designs, making the collection very romantic and reflective of the beauty of nature. The silhouettes, colors, and hand painted designs all beautifully embrace the idea of the divine feminine. 

Don’t forget to tune into the Spring Showcase this year to see the entire collection from our extremely talented designers!

Nicole Tan