Story by Kristin Breakell

The annual Colorado State University Fashion Show, presented by the Department of Design and Merchandising, showcased 14 collections created by graduating apparel design students.  Each collection was judged by a group of industry professionals who recognized designers with standout collections in four categories: Best Construction, Most Marketable, Most Innovative and Outstanding Designer. Collections by four designers rose to the top and were selected for recognition: Tanner Landon, Nina Mascheroni, Caitlin Lund and Y Nhu Hong.

Best Construction

The award for Best Construction was given to Tanner Landon.

Landon designed a line of snow sport wear for men and women, focusing on functionality and durability. The line includes jacket and pant shells as well as simple pant and top base layers.

Landon hopes to work for a small company with local and ethical sourcing after graduation.

[1]

Most Marketable

Nina Mascheroni received the award for Most Marketable.

Her collection was designed for professional women who do not wear a uniform or suit, but who want to express themselves with professionally cut garments.

The line features complete looks and pieces that can be mixed and matched for the office. The jackets feature handwoven fabric created in the Fibers Studio at CSU. Mascheroni is currently interning at Tanya Taylor in New York City.

[2]

Most Innovative

The award for Most Innovative was given to Caitlin Lund. Lund drew inspiration from the unexplored areas of the mind. Her menswear and womenswear collection features sheer fabric that represents the veil between reality and dreams and provokes deeper thought.

The collection was intended to be worn by creative people ages 20 to 35.

Lund will be interning for Thom Browne in New York City this summer.

Outstanding Designer

The award for Outstanding Designer was given to Y Nhu Hong for her stunning collection of bridal gowns. Hong’s line was inspired by the bridal elegance that everyone admires. It was created with a combination of Vietnamese and American bridal traditions. Hong incorporated her favorite aspects of Eastern and Western culture into each design. Because of her passion for evening wear and interest in film costuming, Hong is currently interning in New York for Kal Rieman, a contemporary womenswear designer.

[3]

In addition to the senior collections, the show featured design and draping fashions by the juniors in the program. Their creations were constructed out of recycled military parachutes donated by Aspen Pointe, a veteran rehabilitation and mental health service in Colorado Springs. The theme for the fashion show was “Ascent,” representing the ability to rise above challenges and strive for greatness.

Students in the apparel design and construction concentration in the major of apparel and merchandising learn about apparel construction techniques, aesthetics, design, product evaluation and quality assessment, sourcing and production of apparel goods for a targeted market, and manual as well as computer-aided design skills. Strengths of the program include bridging industry and academics, including a required internship. The students’ course of study culminates in the creation of a unique collection with a target market.

Over 40 models were selected at the model call in February to wear the student designers’ unique collections.

View the award-winning designs:

Industry judges

The judges in attendance were Anabella Poletti, Brittany Pillard, Colin Turek and Heather Okimoto.

Poletti is a CSU alumna and owner of Anabella Poletti Design House, a design studio that caters to an exclusive clientele looking for a unique experience. She is also the co-designer and producer of ELIZABETH, a collaborative high-end label launching its first collection this spring at the Tula boutique in Fort Collins.

Pillard is an online fashion and lifestyle influencer with a following of more than 32,000 on Instagram[4] and well over 1 million unique readers – her blog is thecashmeregypsy.com[5].

Turek is the director of institutional advancement for the YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund in New York City. He oversees fashion industry relations and strategic growth, helping guarantee students from across the U.S. career pathway opportunities with companies driving the future of the industry.

Okimoto is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Denver Style Magazine, Denver’s fashion, style and beauty resource.

The fashion show is planned, produced and promoted by students in the Fashion Show Production and Event Planning class in the Department of Design and Merchandising. The students work together in committees to secure sponsorships to fund the show and manage a budget to plan every detail, creating a successful event.

Congratulations to the Fashion Show class for presenting an outstanding show and student designers Landon, Mascheroni, Lund and Hong for their exceptional, award-winning collections.

View more photos from the CSU Fashion Show on Flickr[6].

The Department of Design and Merchandising[7] is part of CSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences[8].