With a theme of “Fashion Meets Film,” Kent State fashion students competed in the Fashion Student Organization’s (FSO) annual Goodwill Styling Competition on Friday night in Rockwell Auditorium.

This year, freshman fashion design major Madi Alten took home first prize for her “Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” inspired outfit.

“I loved that look (and) I am so happy that her piece won. It was one of my favorites,” said audience member Nicole Zahn, a sophomore public relations major. “It was so edgy but more importantly, I can’t believe she found that at the thrift store.”

The only rules for the competition are to remain within the theme and to thrift all garment pieces, with the exception of shoes.

President of FSO Hannah Gates, a senior fashion merchandising major, said that the show began as a way for all fashion students to display their styling skills.

“The fashion school is divided into two different sections: fashion design students and fashion merchandising students. Most fashion shows on campus cater to the design students, those who can physically construct a garment,” Gates said. “Whereas (with) the merchandising students, a lot of them are interested in styling and have such a good eye for it, but there isn’t a fashion show that caters to it. That’s why we created this show.”

This year the show was judged by Buddy Candela, president of Kent State’s Independent Film Club, FSO alumni Danielle Urbanowicz and Jihyun Kim, associate professor of Fashion Design & Merchandising.

The pieces were judged on their overall aesthetic, creativity and accuracy to the specific movie the stylist chose.

Victoria Blake, a junior fashion merchandising major, came in third place with her ensemble inspired by “Legally Blonde” and Emily Hall, a sophomore fashion merchandising major, received second place with her “Edward Scissorhands” inspired outfit.

Brittney Prather, a sophomore public relations major, styled and modeled a look inspired by “The Breakfast Club” for this year’s show.

Although Prather found that thrifting an entire look was difficult, she enjoyed the opportunity to showcase her talent for styling.

“A lot of people think that if you’re not design then you’re not really into fashion. But a big part of fashion is styling. It’s a huge career in the fashion industry,” Prather said. “Styling also allows people to embrace their passion and show who they really are.”

The annual show is not only a way for fashion merchandising students to get involved, but also a way to promote sustainability in the fashion world. All of the garments, except the shoes, were thrifted and no fabric was wasted in the process of creating the looks.

Gates also said the show should remind students that style isn’t always about who spends the most money.

“I love this competition because you’re going to see some amazing looks, most that have been done for under $20,” Gates said. “The point of this show is not who spends the most money on a vintage Prada gown, (but) about who really did the treasure hunting and pieced the little things together. (It shows) that you don’t need to buy the latest Prada look to be a stylish person on campus.”

Ile-Ife Okantah is a fashion reporter for The Kent Stater. Contact her at [email protected]