Inspired by raw emotion, Christina Daughenbaugh incorporates her feelings into her clothing designs presented at the University of Alabama’s annual Fashion for Life charity event. Emotion is important not only to Daughenbaugh’s designs but to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, the nonprofit to which the proceeds for the event is going.

“A lot of people suffer from some degree of mental health issues, and it’s important to bring more attention to that,” Daughenbaugh, senior apparel and textiles major, said. “I always start off with raw emotion, and the emotions that inspired me for this collection was anxiety and insecurity.”

Daughenbaugh’s collection is Zarathustra and is rooted in the idea of cosmic dualism. This concept reflects the contentious battle between the forces of good and evil. There is meaning behind every aspect of Daughenbaugh’s design, as no part of her work was created for pure aesthetic.

“Throughout my life, I’ve constantly failed to see the good in myself,” Daughenbaugh said. “I used to believe that I was a bad person and that I did not deserve good things to happen to me. My collection embraces these feelings and shows my inner struggle of seeing the good in myself.”

Gallery • 20 Photos

CW/ Austin Bigoney

Fashion for Life started as a runway event for seniors in the UA fashion design program to showcase their final collections.

“When Fashion for Life began, I was involved with a community nonprofit that was looking for an event fundraiser and suggested the idea of having a student fashion show that also raised money for the nonprofit,” UA Apparel and Textiles Instructor Brian Taylor said. “It was a way for the students to showcase their work and give back to the community.”

Every year senior students in the program nominate and vote on a nonprofit to receive proceeds from the event. This year’s charity, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, was nominated by Trevor Hill.

“I feel like anxiety and depression are still topics that people find hard to talk about, but it needs to be talked about,” La’Shandra Garner, senior apparel and textiles major, said. “I have come across way too many people, including myself, that has struggled with one or both of these mental health issues.”

This year’s nonprofit is personal for several of the designers. The show is about more than just fashion, but about fostering a discussion about mental health. Several designers use their personal struggle with mental health as inspiration for their collections being featured in the show.

Garner’s design collection, titled Imperial, uses bold prints as well as contrasting shapes. The collection is reminiscent of royalty to promote the idea that everyone is a queen or king.

“My collection is all about self-love, self-confidence and self-pride,” Garner said.  “As someone who struggles with anxiety more than anything, sometimes it’s hard to maintain that. So this collection was not only a way to remind myself of all this ‘self-ness,’ but others as well.”

Since its founding in 1979, the Anxiety and Depression Association of has had international reach in providing prevention, treatments and cures to anxiety, depressive, obsessive-compulsive and trauma-related disorders. This organization not only aims to educate, but provides treatment, resources and support.

“The cause we selected for the show is very important especially in today’s climate,” Mary Bell, a senior apparel design major, said. “As a society, we are removing a stigma associated with mental health, and young people especially now feel more normalized and are more comfortable reaching out for help.”