The 25th Annual Silver Needle Fashion Show and Awards

The 25th Annual Jubilee Silver Needle Fashion Show was held on May 5, 2010 at the Mid Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, NY.  Sara and I, press passes in hand, documented the highlights and subtleties that embodied the highly anticipated Jubilee Anniversary fashion show.

Here, senior fashion design majors anxiously wait to see the end result that is the product of five months worth of work.

Luckily enough, we gained backstage access and were able to witness the process of turning a group of young college women into supermodels.  Above, model and friend Katherine Bilsky is having her makeup touched up by the MAC makeup artists.  Below, a makeup artist works with another model to achieve the desired look.  

Once the models were finished with hair and makeup, they relocated to the dressing rooms to change into their garments.  At this point, Sara and I realized that we were part of something bigger, not just a college-run fashion show. 

Fair trade garment designed by sophomore Gabrielle Iorio 

Stylists and dressers, along with their designers, rushed to assemble the looks and make sure every pin, button, and buckle were in place.  Although I'm 5'7 and was wearing heels, models towered over me, walking about, getting into the lineup.  I realized this was what I had been waiting for all semester; the peak of all the work we have been doing throughout the semester.  Fashion designers, models, staff, and attendees could feel the excitement and anticipation in the air, and we were ready for it.  

The garments were displayed in order from freshman to senior, with a knitwear segment in the middle.  Above, established Silver Needle model AD Diaz struts down the runway with some major attitude and flair.  The crowd went wild.  Later, Katherine Bilsky showcases a senior's garment flawlessly and with class. 

During the knitwear segment, which is available for students to take as an elective, Senior Fashion Merchandising major Kate Zagami debuted her first piece in the Silver Needle.  Her garment is on trend and versatile, as I was able to try it on before the show! The model pulled off the garment effortlessly, pairing it with a comfortable pair of rust-colored shorts and wedges.  Congratulations to Kate and her merchandising team who were honored at the show for their work on their capping project!

Katherine Bilsky and Laura Furlong display garments that were part of Senior Madeline Sasso's winning collection.   Bilsky and Furlong have been modeling for the Silver Needle for many years now, and their experience in working the runway is apparent.  For more on our designers and to see their final looks in the Silver Needle, check back later today!

Inside Laura's Jubilee Critique

While most designers only had to worry about one critique this weekend, seniors had to anticipate two! Before their looks were numbered and scrutinized by the panel, senior designers had present their Silver Jubilee garments to the Fashion Program faculty. Laura's metallic jumpsuit is the perfect piece to celebrate 25 years of Fashion at Marist.

Runway Ready Weekend

Runway Ready is the all-encompassing weekend where all fashion designers, freshman through senior alike, come together to present their final designs to a panel of Marist's fashion professionals (including Radley Cramer, Director of the Fashion Department).  It occurs the weekend prior to the Silver Needle Fashion Show, with the 2011 show celebrating the Jubilee anniversary of the fashion department at Marist College!

Models, designers, staff, and students were dressed to impress and on their game at 8 a.m., coffees in hand. The academic building that houses the fashion department was transformed into a fashion lover's dream.  Designers buzzed about, adjusting their freshly completed work on the models who tower above many of them.  The side entryway to the building was now a set for a functional photo shoot, recording the models with their look number which will be used as the lineup for the show.

Racks of clothing, bright lights and camera flashes, along with bins of shoes and accessories surrounded me.  As I got acquainted with my surroundings and said hello to my designers, I quickly eased into the fabulous vibe I was getting from those around me.  And it was exciting!

Running into fellow friends, including model Ben Gove, sophomore designer Eva Block, and model/Chic Fox Andrew Ludington as they wait to enter the presentation room.  

Upon spotting Grace amongst the other designers, she quickly whipped out these bad-ass shoes that will accompany her Motorcycle Chanel themed Iconic collection.  (Don't worry more of Grace to come soon!)

A hurried moment where Laura Shell's outerwear garment is brought to life on her model.  

Finishing Touches

Twelve hours ago, Sara and I, armed with our Digital SLRs and official Silver Needle press passes, hurried to our seats amidst the crowd of fashionistas, men and women alike.  The hushed and excited voices of the Silver Needle Production team swirled around us.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats."  

Twelve hours and nearly 800 pictures later, the two of us are tirelessly editing, assembling, and piecing together the best of The 25 Annual Silver Needle Fashion Show and Awards. 

Stay Tuned!

Before we do, here's a sneak peak of freshman designer Forrest Simms putting the finishing touches on his innovative and unique garment that was seen by all last night.

(And if you're really anxious to see some of the action from last night, check out The Poughkeepsie Journal's photo gallery and article covering the show!)

A Model Fitting and An Impromptu Photo Shoot

Photos shot by friend, classmate, model and incredibly talented photographer, Katie Warren, as she waits for her designer to finish altering a top. Effortlessly making multi-tasking fashionable.

Designer: Eva Block

Model: Laura Furlong

Teaching Assistant: Grace Buckley

Eva is fitting a dress in muslin and making corrections before beginning it in the fair trade fabric she has chosen. The shoulder seams on the dress were not aligning properly and was causing the back seam to be off as well. Most of Eva's garments have drop holes or pockets, making it incredibly important for her to fit everything perfectly before cutting into fabric to create these holes.

Eva has chosen to use a white cotton sateen fabric for her dress.  The sateen fabric has a lustrous sheen yet is soft and light weight enough to allow the body of the garment to move as her model moves down the runway.  

Grace assists Eva adjust the shoulder seam of her dress.  As two of our featured designers work together to perfect this garment, the extreme attention to detail and painstaking precision that is required as part of the creative apparel design process could not be more apparent.

“Right Before a Model Walks, I’m the One That Says, GO!”

An Interview with Kim Warren - Fashion Show Co-Director, Humanitarian and Philanthropist

By Sara Shea

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY - Sitting on a couch in the Fashionology alcove, Kim Warren patiently plays with her Ipad, as she waits to discuss Seaming A[wear]ness, her senior honors capping project. At a glance, Kim looks like an average Marist senior - slightly frazzled, with a coffee in one hand and a Blackberry in the other. However, unlike most seniors, Kim is the co-director of the 25th Annual Silver Needle Fashion Show, graduating with honors and the co-founder of Seaming A[wear]ness, an organization created by five Marist students focused on promoting Fair Trade in the fashion industry.

“Its funny,” Kim said, “Seaming Awearness actually started as a completely different project for me.”

Last summer, 10 honors seniors with different majors began planning a Fair Trade based capstone project.

“We originally wanted to take a trip to Ethiopia and actually went as far as discussing it with Dennis Murray,” Kim said. “Unfortunately there was not enough funding for all 10 of us to go so we decided to explore other options."
The group of 10 eventually became a group of five – Kim Warren and Alana Lansenbigler, who are fashion merchandising majors, Maddie Sasso and Brenna Lahif, who are fashion design majors, and Kelly Hall, a biology major at Marist. These five individuals have worked tirelessly for almost a year to create and promote Seaming A[wear]ness and A[wear]ness Day, an event aimed at publicizing Fair Trade by bringing Fair Trade designers and vendors to campus on April 27, 2011.

“We are asking for $3 donations, with all profits going directly to MEND,” Kim said. “MEND is a division of Invisible Children run by women child soldiers in Uganda trying to make a life for themselves. They create handbags and sew their name into each one. They are a bit pricey, (approximately $80 per bag) but the feeling behind it is incredible.”

The Seaming A[wear]ness team is in the process of securing guest speakers to discuss the importance of Fair Trade in our society. A representative from MEND will be flying in from Uganda and Fair Trade designer, Eileen Fisher, will be coming to speak to Marist students on A[wear]ness Day. In addition to informational lectures, there will be a Fair Trade Bazaar set up in the Student Center that will include food, jewelry and beauty products.

“I’m most excited to hear [Eileen Fisher] speak,” Kim said. “Fair Trade has always been a passion of mine. I would love to work for her because I feel like it’s so important to love what you do. I never want to work for a company that ships stuff in from somewhere and you have no clue who made it or where it came from.”

Kim and the other four founders of Seaming A[wear]ness further demonstrated their commitment to Fair Trade by creating a special project for the sophomore design majors to complete for the 25th Annual Silver Needle Fashion Show. Each year the Fashion Program faculty work to create a unique assignment for the sophomore designers to undertake during the semester. In years past the fashion show has featured the Red Dress Project as well as the Pink Dress Project, in which sophomores designed dresses to raise money for heart disease and breast cancer. This year, Seaming A[wear]ness proposed that the sophomore collection should focus on Fair Trade textiles and incorporate MEND bags into runway looks.

“I believe this is the first time students have designed a project concept for the sophomores,” Kim said. “I can’t wait to be like ‘That’s what we’ve been working on all year, there it is!’”

In addition to creating Seaming A[wear]ness, A[wear]ness Day, and the sophomore design project, Kim is also co-directing the 25th Annual Silver Needle Fashion Show – a daunting task in and of itself. As co-director, Kim is typically “running around with a headset on” making sure everything is perfect for the big day. With so many ambitions and so much creative energy, Kim Warren and Seaming A[wear]ness are two powerful forces to watch for in the future.