FPA Co-President Grace Nanni said FPA usually provides space and materials to designers, but due to the pandemic designers had to use their own space and buy their own supplies as well as find a videographer and space to film their work.
Credit: Courtesy of Shaun Barket, FPA Director of Visuals
The Fashion Production Association’s 29th annual spring fashion design show will be cut from a different cloth this year in light of the ongoing pandemic.
On April 17, the student organization will launch its first lookbook in place of an in-person fashion show. The lookbook, a digital catalog called “Intermission: The [Fashion] Show Must Go On,” will showcase the creativity and talent of the designers and production team members in a new aesthetically pleasing way, Lauren Fagan, a fifth-year in fashion and retail studies and member of FPA, said.
“This lookbook will be a fantastic way to showcase every part of not only the designer’s work, but also the work of the entire organization,” Grace Nanni, a fourth-year in fashion and retail studies and FPA co-president, said.
Nanni said the lookbook will be able to reach a broader audience for a longer period of time and the multi-dimensional format would allow them to show more of the process behind designing a collection, rather than just a model walking down a runway.
“It’s almost like a fashion show where there are videos and photos of the designs, but there’s a more in depth look into the design process,” Mariel Trinidad, a second-year in world economy and business and strategic communications and member of FPA, said. “The lookbook will feature different kinds of fabrics that the designers used and the inspirations behind their designs.”
Taylor Wandtke, a fourth-year in fashion and retail studies and member of FPA, said the lookbook will feature 11 collections by both groups and independent designers based on different elements they think fit the theme of performance in fashion.
“Our inspiration ended up being from an album cover of Hozier and how that had fabric moving underwater,” Michelle Kerr, a second-year in industrial systems engineering and member of FPA, said. “We really played that off in our collection and I think because of how broad the theme was, we could do that.”
Nanni said FPA usually provides space and materials to designers, but due to the pandemic, designers had to use their own space and buy their own supplies in addition to finding a videographer and space to film their work.
“Just preparing and leading up to it, we definitely had to be more creative and work with Zoom, FaceTime and group chats a lot,” Kerr said. “But I really enjoyed being able to do the video and photo shoots and see all the equipment and design aesthetics. I thought it was a really cool way to make the best out of this year in these circumstances.”
Fagan, who is one of this year’s independent designers, said she was glad to have the option to do the show virtually this year and hopes that the lookbook will lead to more opportunities like this in the future.
“I’m a commuter student and I live an hour away, so for me it was actually super awesome to be involved with so much this year,” Fagan said. “If it wasn’t for that, I don’t know if I could drive the hour to be a part of FPA on our weekly meeting times and dates.”
Nanni and Wandtke said although the spring fashion design show is usually a charity event, FPA worked with the nonprofit organization Dress For Success Columbus throughout the entire year doing clothing drives and volunteering at the boutique in the Short North.
In previous years, FPA hosted a silent auction with the show, but Nanni said this year FPA plans to have a donation platform on the digital lookbook and a GoFundMe page where proceeds will be split between Dress For Success Columbus and FPA. After raising $1,000 last year, their goal is currently set for $2,500.
The spring 2021 lookbook will launch on the Fashion Production Association’s website and Instagram page at 7 p.m. April 17. The lookbook is free to view indefinitely, but donations to FPA and Dress for Success Columbus will be accepted on their GoFundMe page.
