It was 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 12. The auditorium was slowly starting to fill up as students and parents made their way to their seats, whispering to each other in anticipation and flipping through their brochures. The judges, Jim Leduc, Ester Myers, Kristie Bridge, and Megan Waites, were sitting in the front center, waiting for the show to begin. Modern music played in the background, and a display of three black and silver boards, the center board featuring a painting of an hourglass, sat on stage.
The designers and models have been preparing for quite awhile. Designers have been busy creating their original designs for the past few months, while other Santiago students have been learning their model walks. Just days before the show, Dalya Morrow, a former contestant on America’s Next Top Model, came in to help the models perfect their walk.
The morning of the show, designers and models began preparation for the highly anticipated night. After hours of hair, makeup, and last minute wardrobe problems, the show began.
Precisely six minutes after 7p.m., the host appeared onstage, apologized for the delay, and gave some background on the school’s annual fashion show. Last year, over 12,000 dollars in scholarships were raised, and the fashion club hopes for even better results this year. Following a musical performance by Brian Vu (12) and Kenny Farrell (12), the show would feature clothing of the students’ own designs that reflect on different time periods, ranging from the 1950s to 2014.
After a rather awkward transition period, Vu and Farrell appeared onstage and opened their three song performance with “Royals” by Lorde. They received an enthusiastic applause from the audience, and the musicians exited the stage and made way for the models.
The first half of the show consisted of designs by the fashion class, taught by Carlotta Maggie. Santiago’s very own students modeled the variety of dresses and other designs. The class designs began with casual wear and ended with elaborate gowns. Each creation was modeled for approximately a minute, while the student walked to each side of the stage, showing off the designer’s hard work.
“Months of work led up to a minute’s performance and it was one of the best minutes ever,” commented designer Kendra Aguirre (9).
The second half was longer and showcased individual designer’s lines. The advanced student designers each made approximately eight designs, all revolving around their chosen era of inspiration. Egyptian, Modern Greek, 1950s sockhop, 60s mod, 80’s African tribal print, Punk 80’s, 90’s, and Summer 2014 were all themes that each of the designers chose to reflect through their clothing. There was also a very distinctive personal line for a pair of designers who elected to work together. All of the outfits were original and tastefully modeled. The response from the viewers cannot be described as anything but extremely positive.
“My favorite part was the creation of new friendships while expressing out individuality through our peers designs,” said model Samantha Smitley (11).
All of the competing designers (plus one designer’s feline companion) were brought onstage and they quickly thanked their family members, DJ Carlos, and the club’s advisor, Carlotta Maggie. A few minutes were given to the judges to decide on the contest winners. They were to critique the designer’s work and score them on creativity, originality, cohesiveness, and marketability.
Soon enough, the results were in. Sabrine Huizar came in first place. Alyssa Banvelos, one of the presidents of the fashion club, was the runner up. The other president, Sarah Izenman, took third.
It’s no secret that the show was a huge success, as well as a great experience for those who were involved.
“I was proud of myself, what I did…this is what I want to do. I want to be a designer,” said advanced designer Emaya Dean (11).
Next year’s show will be greatly anticipated. Students who were unable to attend this year’s show are encouraged to come next year.
