It’s Made Out of What?
Sustainability in Style
By Katie Zivley, Co-Editor-in-Chief
Lynn’s 21st annual fashion showcase was surrounded by creative and fascinating designs created by curated designer, Amanda Perna. She has sculpted the theme of sustainability into her designs with joy and inspiration in mind.
This year’s show that was focused on the sustainability in the fashion industry consisted of sportswear, the House of Perna couture collection, Sara Mique’s formal wear and Jamie Banks’ swimwear and cruise wear. This year’s show was also put together with the help from The Upcycle Project, Valley Forge Fabrics, The House of Perna, Boca Bargoons, Miami Dade College and the students from the Miami Fashion Institute.
“When people come to the Lynn Fashion Showcase, they expect excellence because of what we’ve been able to build over the years and [we] want people to understand that when you walk into this building, this is a building of creatives,” said Cesar Santalo, Dean of the College of Communication and Design. “This is a building of content creators, storytellers and designers. This isn’t like walking into any other place, but the fact that you’re coming into this new world that we’ve built here to kind of encapsulate who we are and where we’re going is really important.”
In terms of the materials used to bring sustainability to life, the catwalk flooring was a combination of a collage of fabrics, recycled materials and prints that were all covered with a clear plexiglass. In partnership with The United Nations and the Global Sustainable Development Goals, one percent of all post-consumer textiles are recycled into new clothing.
“Cesar Santalo asked me to make a purse and I thought it would be great if I made shoes to go with it,” said Professor Stern, designer of the candy wrapper shoes and ticket stub flats on display. “He said to do whatever, just to give him something that’s upcycled or recycled.”
The Lynn Fashion Showcase encouraged innovation and infrastructure by including plastic, waste, and other materials to be repurposed into beautiful pieces you can wear. Part of this year’s theme, ‘We Are the One Percent,’ explains that one percent of all post-consumer textiles are recycled into new clothing.
“This was my first year [modeling in the fashion show] and I am thankful for the experience as I would love to work more fashion shows in the future,” said Carly Lowery, a senior and model chosen for this year’s Fashion Showcase. “I was not even supposed to walk the runway, but Amanda Perna asked for me specifically to wear her ‘Under the Sea’ dress.”
For each year that the Lynn Fashion Showcase occurs, more creativity and dedication is applied to help emphasize the ability that the College of Communication and Design and the College of Business and Management truly has.
