Many lined up on Friday, Nov. 4 to view the 10th Annual Fashion Presentation. The show, put on by Red House, featured three outsourced collections from different designers and an in house collection made by Red House members.
The Voices of Victory Choir drew in everyone with their opening piece as they prayed for protection and individual strength through their song. Everyone sat in awe of how beautifully the group sang and awaited what was next.
As the DJ played some hip-hop, models began to strut down the runway wearing the first collection to come down the runway. Raab West, visionary and designer for Bobby Day brand, has a close connection with the urban streets. His collection was politically provoking and relevant to pop culture. Ben Achilles, a junior and advertising major at St. John’s, styled the Bobby Day pieces in a way that represented both Raaz and the Red House style.
“This is actually part two. You guys missed part one. Part one, the first collection is about urban squatters enjoying life, not a care in the world. Being a squatter you have to use what you have to make it happen. You may take your shirt and turn it into a pair of pants, take your pants and turn it into a book bag. Now the squatters need a job. The second collection is still streetwear based, still has that whole lax thing from last season, but now this year you see suit pants, suit jackets. It’s a little grown up,” said Day.
He shares that he started designing things that he wanted to wear and it evolved from there.
Following the first collection was The Woodshop collection by designer Frances Metzger. A Fashion Institute of Technology student, Metzger put a minimalistic and futuristic spin on gothic 12th century French architecture in her first collection. Models wearing silver and black edgy pieces walked out to poetry by Laura Jeanne and acoustics by Jerome Rivera.
“I would wear that [the Woodshop collection]… It was the most wearable,” Briana Scripture, sophomore and graphic design major said in response to the Woodshop collection. “It was interesting how the vibe would change each time [with each collection].”
Each collection’s presentation was matched with a performance that set the mood and fit the aesthetic of the clothing on the runway.
After The Woodshop collection, the next presentation, Crunch, displayed a line of insect inspired gowns made with eco-friendly textiles to make you think of how clothes and the Earth are related. Jackii Ramis, a Fashion Institute of Technology Milan graduate, was featured in Vogue Italia for her commendable collection and potential as an up and coming designer.
The designer line-up was carefully chosen by Vachon Osby, the president of Red House, to reflect the theme of this year’s Fashion Presentation which was “Rebirth.” For the in house collection, all e-board members were allowed to create something on their own to be in the collection as the grand finale, with a performance by rapper Cruzer Santana.
The 10th Annual Fashion Presentation dedicated to Fashion club founder, Jacqueline Smith, was a successful event bringing together students and faculty from all areas of study. Following the show, everyone in attendance was invited to mingle and network.
If you missed this event, and you’re interested in art, fashion and creativity make sure to look out for next semester’s planned fashion week.
