The Lory Student Center Ballrooms were converted into a runway Friday, May 1, as students, family, faculty and others gathered for “Fashion Reframed,” the annual fashion show from the department of design and merchandising at Colorado State University.

From tiered dresses to geometric-shaped tops and fur jackets, all works were designed by students, many of which were from the Apparel Design and Production capstone. The sold-out fashion show is also planned by students enrolled in DM 474: Fashion Show Production and Event Planning. The work was divvied up into four committees: model and garmenting, promotions and publicity, set and stage and VIP and sponsorships.

“With this year’s theme, ‘Fashion Reframed,’ we wanted to make sure that not only the work of the (Apparel Design and Production students) was highlighted as a work of art, but we also wanted to invite people in understanding that fashion can be whatever you want it to be,” said Calli Mawdsley, chair of the Promotions and Publicity Committee. “It can be reframed; it can be reshaped.”

Graduating senior Sunny Collins said for her and other students, the show is a hallmark of their college career.

“It’s so amazing getting to see all of the people that I’ve been going to school with for three and a half years get to do the same, and it’s finally like a kind of a sigh of relief — it’s finally time to celebrate,” Collins said.

Collins said her collection, “Lane,” has been in the works for over a year. The collection also draws on a range of inspiration: Collins’ background in dance, a study abroad trip to Italy and “Angels and Demons,” a novel by Dan Brown. The collection plays with color to convey Collins’ messaging.

“My collection starts off with a completely black look and then it fades into white over five looks,” Collins said. “The idea is that you need balance and you can’t have the good without the bad. You need the dark to see the light.”

Alongside senior capstones like Collins’, the first pieces to hit the runway were made by students enrolled in AM 340: Patternmaking II — Draping. The 29 student designers who produced pieces for this section utilized upcycled garments, highlighting the role of sustainability in the fashion show and helping refrain the idea of fashion in accordance with the show’s theme, said Tyler Argotsinger, one of the show’s emcees.

This year was also the first time that students from AM 475: Product Development III showcased their works.

“Adding product development was a big deal,” said Elena Hicks, a member of the Promotions and Publicity Committee. “The product development students also focus on a lot of accessibility wear and things that are adaptive to people with accessibility needs.”

The show’s theme also aimed to challenge conventional ideas of fashion. One collection, “High Desert,” was created by student Sawyer Suplizio and aimed to highlight functionality in fashion.

“Style doesn’t have to mean that it can’t be functional,” Suplizio said. “I tried to blend style and functionality into every piece I make. In a lot of modern clothing, it can either be one or the other, but I try to make both possible at the same time.”

Suplizio’s collection was inspired by his hometown of Grand Junction, Colorado, and featured a mixture of western and outdoor wear made entirely of natural materials.

Another senior capstone, “Valerian,” by Ashley Singer brought structured formal wear to the runway. The garments were inspired by 1920s ballet, using ballet silhouettes to create pieces that cultivate images of a “modern-day ballerina.”

Creating pieces for “Valerian” was a lengthy process filled with experimentation and learning new techniques, Singer said.

“Today we’re so used to just going into a store, buying a shirt and not really putting any thought into what went (into) making that shirt,” Singer said. “It’s just a factor that we don’t really think about. But making clothes is hard. It takes a lot of time. There’s a lot of techniques that you have to learn, and I really just hope people take that interest and understand that clothing is more than just buying something and wearing it.” 

The show concluded with an awards section, with the Fan Favorite award going to Colby Zur’s “Terminus.” The collection weighed personal perception in two contrasting themes: technology and tradition. 

Reach Chloe Rios at entertainment@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.