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Pre-show madness filled every corner of the Schine Underground — blaring house music, powder brushes falling into makeup bags and wispy tulle following the paths of models who practiced their confident struts in red MSCHF boots and glittering heels. Syracuse University’s Fashion and Design Society held “Dreamscapes,” their first of two fashion shows this school year, on Sunday.

“‘Dreamscapes’ is about giving fashion designers, set designers and everyone on all the teams a platform to take their own creativity into hand,” said Bella Young, an SU senior and FADS’s vice president.

“Dreamscapes” features 18 student designers pulling from the works of Italian fashion designer Elsa Schiapearelli, Spanish visual artist Salvador Dalí and other members of the surrealist movement. The show aimed to have a collection of “mind-bending designs” that “defy conventional expectations,” according to the organization’s Instagram.

FADS Creative Director Zoë Boise, a senior, said “Dreamscapes” isn’t straightforward. The theme allowed students to experiment with a series of design aesthetics, especially considering the many disciplines and perspectives of the designers. With surrealism, designers can take any element that’s not fashion and combine it with one unique and new, Boise said.

“Schiaparelli collaborated with Dalí in the past and her clothing has always been a little abnormal. She has shoes with toes painted on them and garments with giant lips. There are a lot of different pieces that stand out,” Boise said. “Dalí’s work shows how you can have that obscure, abstract feel in art.”

At Sunday’s show, 40 models traversed the runway. Each designer presented between two to five looks and experimented with themes such as time, nature and activism.

Along with her role as the creative director, Boise was also one of the show’s designers. Her six looks revolved around “genderless wearable garments” and encapsulated the value she holds in making neutral clothes.

“It was a new and completely different experience,” said Camy Johnson, who modeled for Boise. “Completely engaging because I had my best friend behind my design which means so much to me.”

Looks by other designers included a whimsical gown made by sophomore Mikah Bein, which was adorned with a faux greenery bodice and a silhouette of colorful sunflowers, hydrangeas and lillies.

Junior Nina Tran’s collection explored the Vietnamese diaspora, liberation and solidarity, according to her artist biography. One design of hers was an Ao Dai, a traditional Vietnamese garment, with the words “Free Palestine” stitched on the piece’s inner sleeves.

Cassandra Roshu | Photo Editor

Designer Zoë Boise poses with her six designs before the show begins. Inspired by surrealist art, 18 student designers “step into a world where the boundaries of reality blur and fashion transforms into a surreal dreamland.”
Cassandra Roshu | Photo Editor

FADS President Leah Jones, a senior, said it was exciting to see how the student designers interpret and execute the vision of the show.

“We emphasize that you don’t only have to be a fashion design student to participate in FADS,” Jones said. “That’s something really special about it, that regardless of what you’re doing in school, people use FADS as an outlet for their passions.”

Dec. 10’s event was months in the making. At the start of each semester, Jones said FADS’s social media team posts a model call to the organization’s Instagram.The model director, model coach and designer director then host a day when potential models can walk and share their interest in being a part of FADS. In a no-cut process, the modeling committee picks models for each designer whose work will be featured.

Young said the FADS E-Board chooses a theme that becomes the creative direction of the entire semester. Every graphic, poster, Instagram post and photoshoot revolve around the theme in some way.

“Social media is like our only kind of thing. We don’t publish magazines or anything but everybody works together to make sure everything looks cohesive,” said Addie Jung, FADS’s head of social media and a senior at SU.

While Boise said FADS has always organized and hosted fashion shows, they wanted to use “Dreamscapes” to grow the organization into something more professional. The result, Boise said, was a more elevated, high fashion show.

After the show, FADS members quickly embraced one another with hugs while supporters handed many of them congratulatory bouquets.

“My parents are also here, so I was just crying happy tears. I’m just so proud of the work that everyone has done,” Boise said.

Published on December 13, 2023 at 11:41 pm