Kelsey Sellenraad (left) and Cheyenne Vandevoorde, both third-years in architecture, walk down the catwalk at the 2013 Fashion Schau at the Knowlton School of Architecture.
Credit: Courtesy of Chris Mannella
Apples and oranges could satiate the diet of those with a taste in fashion, but they also might be worn on the runway at an unusual catwalk at Ohio State.
SERVitecture, a community service-based student group at OSU, is set to present its third annual Fashion Schau at the Knowlton School of Architecture Friday at 7 p.m.
This year is also the third time Francesca Rivas, a fourth-year in architecture, has designed an outfit for the event.
“As an architecture student, you learn about design, and with fashion, there’s an armature,” Rivas said. “It’s very like how you design a building. It’s a chance to get to design in a different way.”
“Different” is the name of the game at the KSA Fashion Schau, where entries are expected to use “unconventional materials,” said Chris Mannella, a fourth-year in architecture and the president of SERVitecture.
Mannella said he’s seen entries made of everything from paper to produce.
This year, Rivas’ dress is made of “umbrella parts and Saran Wrap,” she said.
Along with the use of unconventional materials, entries are to be judged on the economical use of the materials and overall presentation, Mannella said. A panel of four faculty members from the Austin E. Knowlton School of Architecture are slated to serve as judges.
In the spirit of economical use, Rivas said she tries not to spend more than $20 on her designs, but said her budget adds to the challenge.
“It makes it harder to make something beautiful,” she said.
The couture creations can take anywhere from several hours to several days to complete, Rivas said. Her creation will require about 14 hours of work.
For the first time, this year’s Fashion Schau will give designers an extra element to consider: a theme. Specifically, silhouettes.
But the addition wasn’t intentional. The silhouette theme came about “organically” during the planning of the event’s stage and runway, Mannella said.
Rivas said she took consideration of the theme in designing her piece.
The duality between the silhouette and the reveal “make the costumes come alive,” she said.
Rivas is set to join 22 other competitors with her piece.
Proceeds from the event are set to go to Dress for Success Columbus, said Alex Stagge, a fourth-year in architecture and a member of SERVitecture’s public relations committee.
According to its website, Dress for Success is an international not-for-profit organization that works to provide disadvantaged women with professional attire.
The event has raised $1,500 total in the past two years for the group through sale of tickets, Stagge said.
Admission to the event costs $5. Tickets can be purchased in advance at the KSA front desk or at the door Friday, Mannella said.
