MY FIRST COLLECTION! :)

I recently applied to an annual design competition called Fusion.  It pits the two best fashion design schools in the country, FIT and Parsons, against each other for the title.  It's kind of like an OSU vs. Michigan college football rivalry except with A LOT more estrogen and champagne takes the place of kegs for the winning side.

Anyway, this year, there were over 250 people that got it together, created a collection and applied (there are currently 1,184 members of their Facebook group).  I put a ton of effort into my application and, in all honesty, lost track of how much work I put in because I was having such a fun time learning about fashion illustration and letting my creative juices flow.

I was selected as one of the top 20 applicants among the field at FIT to be whittled down to the final 15...  When I got a call from the director, Jimmy Ramey, I can't say I was surprised, but I was caught WAY off guard at the moment.  Actually, I pretended my roommate was saying something to me so I could gather myself.  He asked the typical questions about why they should pick me and how my construction skills were, and I did my best to answer them passionately and truthfully.  The last question was really amusing to me... a friend of his named Mariel, whom I've since made friends with, wanted to know what the cologne I sprayed on the inside was!

Hahaha... as I leaving the day I was turning the application in, I sprayed my cologne, Black Walnut by Banana Republic, on the inside because it smells very woodsy and is scented with cedarwood.  As my collection was themed off lumberjacks, it was perfect... though I kind of did it for my own amusement and didn't think anyone would notice!  COOL!!!

Anyway, turns out I did NOT make the cut for the final 15, which, yes, was a huge disappointment, but I was still super excited to stand out that much among a field of the best applicants in the world.  Not to mention, at the time, I'd only been sewing for less than two months and just completed my first EVER garment (a pale yellow dress shirt) the same day!  I am on the alternate list now so if one of the 15 FIT designers is removed or drops out, I'm on deck.

Regardless, the reason I came to New York to study fashion is so I could learn to make clothing I am passionate about and I will be assembling my collection still, though on a little more relaxed time frame.

I'm planning to have the collection completed May 28th, the weekend after school gets out, and presenting it in Cincinnati.  I am working with a few friends, who are pros at hosting events, to have a party over winter break for the fabric and other supplies.  I'm estimating $1,000 is a safe number to aim for.  I've posted my collection below.

In short, I was inspired on a flight into LaGuardia Airport when I saw the colors of the lights of the city and started thinking this was all forest once.  Lumberjacks and other people like that helped clear the canvas on which the city was built.