Models strutted down the cement sidewalk in front of Doster Hall on Wednesday, sporting designer-esque ensembles from wedding gowns made of coffee filters to dresses made of caution tape.
The annual Tee Time fashion show, organized by Fashion Inc., was every bit the “Project Runway” extravaganza for the College of Human Environmental Sciences. Many students were able to showcase their work. Some had been working for weeks and others just mere hours before the show.
Taking dinnerware to a whole new level was designer A.B. Stone, a sophomore majoring in apparel design. Stone’s dress was made of paper plates, which she accessorized with matching shoes. The inspiration behind her heels, Stone said, was Hermes, because of his winged shoes.
“I love lines, which is why I picked the plates in the first place. It took me about 20 to 30 hours, but it was about a week and a half to do. I wasn’t slaving for 30 straight hours in a row or anything like that,” Stone said. “I thought it would be fun to do something with dinnerware because it’s kind of funny. You know, you wear clothes, so why not dinnerware?”
Stone had trouble getting into her dress and said a friend had to help Velcro and put in a few staples in order to make it stay. Another dress that needed some extra aid being held together on the model was Lindsey Mortensen’s dress. Mortensen, a junior majoring in apparel design, said she got the idea for her dress in a rather unexpected way.
“One of my friends was stuck in traffic, and I was telling her we had to make something. I knew we had to make something recycled and the traffic gave me the idea, so I went to Home Depot and got a bunch of caution tape,” Mortensen said.
The theme of Tee Time each year is recycled or repurposed clothing, and the designers must come up with new and inventive ways to make their pieces. One of the new designs that debuted was a wedding gown by Tanya Caruso, a senior majoring in apparel design. The wedding gown was constructed out of white material as the bodice and coffee filters cascaded down as the skirt.
“I did the pattern work on Friday, and it took about four or five hours, and then I pulled an all-nighter last night. It took about 38 to 40 hours,” Caruso said.“I’ve been so busy with school that my friend and I have been calling this project April 15. I don’t know if I could handle ‘Project Runway,’ but maybe after this, it’s debatable.”
Tee Time gives students interested in a career in fashion the opportunity to get real-time runway experience. Caruso, who will be interning in New York City over the summer, said she has bigger plans for what comes next.
“I love bridal gowns, and I’d really love to do couture someday so women can wear my designs,” Caruso said.
