San Diego Mesa College’s fashion program hosted its 44th annual Golden Scissors Fashion Show on May 16, displaying the theme of “Expressions.” These 12 selected student designers had 10 weeks to design, drape and construct their looks for show.
“Expressions” is an act of conveying a thought or emotion and making it known. These students displayed true dedication and depth in their designs showing the connection between fashion and real life concepts. Given the different perspectives of expressions, there was a wide range of aesthetics shown that night.
This very-well orchestrated event allowed the audience to vote for their favorite collections in which awards were presented at the end of the show. Co-heads of the fashion program Jordyn Smiley and Lindsey Johnson delivered a warm welcome by honoring everyone who made the event happen and presenting each designer.
In third place, Troy Munsey’s “Gentle Riot” collection could be described as a crossover between punk and Buddhist philosophy. His collection touches on society’s ethical consumption and challenges the idea of societal in. He took this concept and delivered it by using ethically sourced fabrics to construct his line. Not only that but the silhouettes had a more freeing and flowy look which plays a part in freeing the mind.
A collection that was inspired by the elegance of femininity was “Pressed in Time” by Genesis Yanez. Yanez’s line was voted for second place but showed a cohesion of classy gowns made with hand-dyed fabrics. Yanez wanted to highlight the longevity in a sophisticated young women’s dress and embrace the historical elements of the fashion world. In her statement it says, “Her childhood passion for arts and crafts evolved into a serious pursuit of fashion at age 16.” Her arts and craft skills have quite beautifully developed which is visible in how the dye blends seamlessly into her gowns.
Edwin Alba wanted to express the importance of cultural identity and tell the story of a son of Mexican immigrants navigating through both American and Hispanic cultures. His collection, “Felix in the Middle,” which came in first place, was an excellent portrayal. The elements of the color scheme, texture and the reference to traditional Hispanic work attire show the attention to detail Alba put into the line.
In his designer statement it says, “The collection reflects the universal experience of belonging to both yet fully fitting into neither.” When touching on a subject like finding the balance between cultures it’s important to specify those details to get the message across which Alba conveyed on the runway.
A collection that left quite an impression among the audience as he was selected for the people’s choice award was “Coastal Living” by Rasmus Lynnerup. With the most designs featured on the runway Lynnerup wanted to highlight the luxury living along the coastlines. His designs featured linens and woven fabrics to truly visualize the classy and comfortable lifestyle. Each piece was quite timeless indeed.
Each designer is enrolled in Mesa’s Advanced Fashion Design course which marks the end of their journey in the fashion program. Mesa’s fashion program grants opportunities both in design and merchandising which allows students to present their works in collaborative events such as the “Threads in Time” exhibit in Visions Museum of Textile Art.
The Golden Scissors Fashion show truly is a celebration of the diverse perspectives on fashion and is an amazing opportunity for students to cultivate their ideas. It is an enjoyable experience to see students design and create their clothes for everyone to see, until next year.
