Romanticism, mythological creatures, the Taj Mahal and engineered infrastructure were the inspiration for a handful of Drexel student designers whose collections will be featured in Drexel University’s Annual Fashion Show on Saturday, June 10, presented by the Fashion Design and Design & Merchandising programs in Westphal College of Media Arts & Design.

This year’s show will take place at the Urban Outfitters Corporate Headquarters Naval Yard (5000 South Broad St.), Building 543. The first show will be held at 4 p.m., with a ticket price of $30. The second show will be held at 8 p.m. and will be followed by a wine and cheese reception, with a ticket price of $60. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here. For more information, call 215-895-2390 or visit www.drexel.edu/westphal. 

Each year, Drexel’s Design & Merchandising seniors work behind the scenes to produce and direct the show. With expertise in different areas, students help coordinate public relations and marketing, the selection of models and garments, and assist with ticket sales.

Fashion ’17 is collaboration across multiple majors within the Westphal College. Music Industry students will arrange the music, Graphic Design students will assist with the visuals. Drexel students will also model in the show alongside professionals from Whilemina, Model Management Agency and Reinhard Modeling Agencies.

Fashion ’17 includes collections in womenswear and menswear, children’s, tailoring, sportswear, lingerie, evening, swimwear and bridal. Fashion ’17 is Drexel’s largest show yet, with 28 senior and graduate designers premiering their collections on June 10 after spending several months cultivating their ideas and inspirations.

Eligible student collections can be awarded in categories such as best in show, most creative and saleable, and excellence in illustration. A few of Fashion ’17’s judges will include representatives from Neiman Marcus, Gentle Monster, Nicole Miller, Frank Agostino and Joan Shepp. 

“Our Fashion Design students have developed an intuitive and practical understanding of design while studying the psychological, social and historical context of fashion,” said Lisa Hayes, director of the Fashion program. “Their education is evident in this year’s show as the students work towards collections that fuse art, design, science and technology.”

The senior collection of Olivia Ballard dives into the agony that monarch’s experience, torn between title and humanity.” Her wearable art takes inspiration from mythological creatures such as siren’s and sphinxes. They are like “characters from a movie yet to be written,” she said.

The Taj Mahal and its “immeasurable beauty and incredible architecture” lies as the inspiration for Mital Dhudasia’s senior collection. Dhudasia said that through “structured silhouettes, engineered embroidery and intricate hand beading,” she can capture the Taj’s magnificence.

Jessica Jade Dwyer was driven to create a couture bridal collection for the vintage bride. According to Dwyer, her senior collection will “revive the romanticism of the Victorian Era with the wildness of the ‘70’s free spirit.”

Growing up near engineering factories and industrial infrastructures, ShunWen Hsueh, created her graduate collection to combine “what she has and who she is with fashion.” She interprets her collection as a mix between “the power of heavy industry and modern design into a high-end ready to wear collection.”  

The senior collection of Brittney Laycock found inspiration within the color and texture of glaciers. By blending the use of hand-dyed fabrics and draping them with chunkier fabrics, Laycock found the perfect juxtaposition of hard and soft.  She says her knits “were inspired by the snow on the tops of glaciers”.

Anna Sajeski designed her senior collection using a knitting machine to “develop knit structures that emulate coral textures and utilize rib detailing. According to Sajeski, her collection is meant to “spark an appreciation for Earth’s beautiful underwater ecosystems.”

With nods to designers like Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood, Alexa Buonpastore’s senior collection merges punk street wear and elegant eveningwear. “The collection is completed with laser-cut leather “feather” accessories exuding a modern eccentric gothic style,” she said.