Two young models show off Jessica Harter’s designs during Friday night’s fashion show in the Rockwell Hall auditorium.

Credit: Beth Rankin

Relief was the word many fashion design seniors used to describe how they felt after watching models in their garments walk down the runway for a final time.

After a year of designing and redesigning, hours of sewing and countless all-nighters, the fashion show went off successfully Thursday and Friday nights.

In the audiences’ eyes, the show may have appeared flawless, but there were a few minor hitches that had to be worked out before the spotlight hit the garments.

One such error happened to one of senior fashion design major Miranda Park’s garments. A dresser tried to zip up one of her garments before the model had it on, causing the seam to tear. Park spent three hours fixing it Thursday morning before the shows.

“I had to take it apart and redo the whole thing,” Park said. “I wasn’t really upset though. I was expecting something bad to happen. I just knew it was going to happen to me.”

Park’s dedication to her work paid off when she found out Friday night she had won the Eric Gaskins’ Critics Award.

“She worked really hard,” said Gaskins, a fashion designer and guest critic for the show. “She was very disciplined in her idea from beginning and seeing it through from muslin to finished product.”

Six other awards were given Friday night, including three other critic’s awards, two Cleveland Fashion Show Awards, and the Kent State’s Designer of the Year, which was selected by the four guest critics as well as a representative from the Viking Sewing Company.

Jessica Fechner appeared surprised when she heard her name announced as the Designer of the Year as she walked onstage with a model for her curtain call.

“I had no clue” she said. “I can’t believe I got put in this position. It’s a nice cap to the year.”

Other designers like Roma Sison just enjoyed finally being able to see their work from the audience with their family and friends. Although, she admitted she was nervous waiting to see her designs.

“After seeing six rehearsals, you think I’d be prepared,” Sison said, “but sitting in the audience I still got really antsy.”

However, she did admit that sitting in the audience was a gratifying experience.

“After four years, it’s basically graduation for me,” Sison said. “It’s the culmination of hard work, tearful nights and sleepless nights.”

Fechner agreed with Sison.

“I’m so glad it’s over,” Fechner said. “I’m ready to relax. At least ’til May when I have to start my internship.”

Although Gaskins said the students should be proud of their accomplishments, he said they still have a long road ahead of them.

“Its just the beginning,” Gaskins said. “I hope they have the ambition and drive to stomach what lies ahead. And go for it. You can never ever give up.”

Contact fine and professional arts reporter Emily Rasinski at [email protected].