From upcycled denim to 3D printed tops and fancy ballgowns, students in the Fashion Design Technician program at St. Clair College are gearing up to showcase their semester's work at the 11th annual Atelier Fashion Show later this month.
And second-year student Carly Kelly can hardly wait.
"I'm so excited, it's something I've always wanted to do," said Kelly, who will be showing off her collection of three pieces that look like something off a Disney set. It makes sense, since she grew up listening to Broadway and is also a trained performer.
"I've been in shows as a performer myself, and what is a show without a costume?" Kelly said about her renaissance festival-esque designs. "This is truly what I love. I'm just excited to do it for the rest of my life and do something that I'm really passionate about."
Kelly is one of 16 students in the program whose designs will get an audience at the fashion show, with models strutting their work down the runway.
"It's our capstone project. Not only do they get to showcase, but we also invite industry," said Elaine Chatwood, a professor in the Fashion Design program. "We've had students get hired right from the show."
Chatwood said the show has a reputation for quality designs and she invites as many industry representatives as she can from Windsor to London, which can be a great launchpad for graduating students.
"We've had people come in from New York. We had a designer come in, as a judge, and he hired our first-place winner that night, and she went off to New York after that."
The Fashion Design class previews its designs ahead of the 11th annual Atelier Fashion Show, which takes place April 26, 2025, at 8 p.m. (Rich Garton/St. Clair College)
The Atelier Fashion Show itself is a huge undertaking that starts way before the April showcase. According to Chatwood, students begin their fourth semester with a concept and proposal, just like you would if you were working for a fashion brand.
The students identify target markets and create a dozen designs, produce sketches and present them to faculty, who then whittle the number down to three.
The students later produce patterns, do all the sewing, create a technical pack for mass reproduction and create a look-book and website for social media, featuring their semester's work.
Chatwood said the rigour is quite intentional because when students graduate, they're ready for anything.
"It's not an easy program. It's packed with content for two years," explained Chatwood, adding the students perform hours and muscle work in the process. "And what these students turn around and produce at the end of the two years is quite amazing, since most of them don't have any sewing or pattern drafting experience at all when they begin."
Students are eligible to win cash prizes during the Fashion Show as well.
An industry panel of judges will select the top three collections and students can win share of $1,000 cash prize, donated by PAD System Cloud. There is also an additional prize of $1,000 for the TÉLIO Impact Award from TÉLIO Fabrics in Montreal for the most sustainable collection, which can feature any combination of upcycled materials, dead stock, or zero-waste pattern making.
Lojain Alsayyed has her eyes on that prize.
"I've always loved denim. Every day it's like, I want to wear denim," said Alsayyed, who created looks that feature upcycled denim fabric that is uniquely tailored into suave dresses.
"Sometimes you have fancier events to go to, and I thought: Why not just dress up denim? I want people to look at denim as though it can be dressed up too, right?" she said, noting the nerves are starting to kick in as the show draws near.
The Atelier Fashion Show will be hosted at the Student Life Centre at Main Windsor Campus on April 26, 2025. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m.
"I'm so excited and nervous," said Alsayyed. "I can't wait to see what people think. And, you know, get a little feedback."
For Atelier Fashion Show ticket information, visit Eventbrite at www.stclaircollege.ca/atelier.
