Eva's Runway Ready Weekend

Above: Eva makes final alterations to her dress, modeled by senior, Laura Furlong, the night before her critique. 

Having switched majors as a junior, this is Eva's first Runway Ready Weekend. Eva will have two pieces in the show, her freshman men's wear shirt as well as the Fair Trade cotton dress she hand died for her sophomore design class. Her sophomore dress was a much more intricate project, requiring many hours in the design lab with the "world's best TA," Grace Buckley! 

Above: Laura has modeled in the Silver Needle Fashion Show for several years and was actually selected to grace the cover of the 25th Annual Silver Needle Look Book.

The morning of Runway Ready the hallway typically teaming with science students was transformed into a fashion mecca, with the Fashion Show Production Team, models, designers, and dressers scurrying about in a chaotic yet almost choreographed manner. Models and designers lined the walls of Donnelly Hall, each waiting for their garment number to be called for their critique. 

Below: Eva chats with her model as she anxiously awaits her 8 a.m. critique. She entered the lecture hall confidently and exited with a smile as both garments received positive feedback from the panel. 

"I actually created my button down [men's wear shirt in the fall," Eva explained, "I was expecting them to be kind of hard on me but they said they could see how much I've grown in just a semester based on these two pieces which makes me really happy!"

Though freshman and sophomores do not create a collection for the show, Eva's garments were two completely separate assignments that she used to created two cohesive looks that will act as a basis for future design endeavors. Though the next two years will be difficult, Eva is excited for the challenge.

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.  

Working with Muslin: Eva Pieces Together her Dress

Eva's sophomore design project is based around the usage of fair trade fabric.  Her design for her garment consists of a trapezoid silhouette, combined with her Moving Through Water inspiration.  Eva is going to hand-dye the cotton sateen fabric she has ordered to illustrate her inspiration in her garment.

Through the use of an asymmetrical neckline and a 3D-like drop hole in the left side of the bodice, the sophomore designer is applying what she is learning in her apparel classes to create movement and detail in the construction of the garment.  

The fabrics that are available for the sophomores to use  are shown here.  Eva's out-of-the-box approach regarding this project portrays her unique sense of design and style.

As Eva works towards completing the garment in its final fabric, she must first construct the garment in muslin, fit it to her model, and adjust the seaming and patterns accordingly.  Below is a video clip where Eva describes how she is making preparations to create her final dress in fabric by first working with the muslin.

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.

Meet our sophomore fashion designer, Eva Block!

Eva was originally a fashion-merchandising student at Marist, however in the last year she has declared fashion design as her focus of study.

Age: 20
Hometown: Woodbridge, Connecticut
Favorite color: I really don’t have a favorite color, I like all colors…
“In terms of designing I tend to gravitate toward my inspiration, whatever that may be at the time. I like to use a lot of neutrals though. The color usually changes, but I usually like to use neutrals and have pops of color.”
Favorite designer:
Oh, that’s hard! I like Marc Jacobs. Balenciaga is a big inspirational designer for me. You can tell a Balenciaga garment when you see it. A couple years ago when the house came out with dresses with big shoulder pads and flowered prints I thought it was a great mix of feminine and masculine at the same time. It was kind of a hard look but the pattern on the dress softened it. I like Jill Sander a lot just as a designer. She has a great simplicity to her work that lets the fabric speak for itself.
Why did you choose Marist for fashion? 
Because it was pretty. They [also] have a good fashion program that is pretty well known in the city and they have really great professors that have a lot of experience in the industry. Unlike a school like Parsons or FIT it offers a campus life as well which I liked.
Why fashion design?
I really enjoy art, and I really love fashion. I have devoured magazines since I was a little kid [and] I’ve just wanted to go into the industry. I never really knew what I wanted to do but then I realized it was right in front of me. I like to be creative. I could never sit at a desk, its so boring.
What are your essentials for a day in the lab?
If I’m sketching, I need an inspiration – like whatever I’m working on. And then I would need my sketchpad, my pencils, [and] my markers. If I’m going to drape I need my box, which is a toolbox that has everything in it – pins, needles, scissors. I bring my iPod to listen to music - otherwise I’m bored. I bring drinks and snacks because your usually in there for a while when you go.