WashU’s 94th Annual Fashion Design Show Set for April 22

The Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts will host the annual Washington University Fashion Design Show Saturday, April 22, at 7:00 p.m. Admission is free, and registration is required.

The tradition began in 1929, when the merchandise manager of a local department store, Kline’s, organized a fashion show using designs by WashU students. The event was a success: garment manufacturers chose eight dresses for commercial production, marking the beginning of the juniors’ department.

This year’s show, which will take place on campus at Ridgely Holmes Lounge, is the capstone project for five students graduating with their BFA in fashion design: Olivia Baba, Zinaida Calixte, Mackenzie Llewellyn, Madelyn Savitch, and Connor Seger. Their pieces, which will be worn by models from Mother Model Management, represents a wide range of artistic, social, emotional, and environmental intersections with fashion design. “These collections are the expression of each designer’s creative aesthetic, conceptually reflecting the designer’s creativity and aesthetic expression in the spirit of our times and technically demonstrating the height of their craft,” said Mary Ruppert-Stroescu, associate professor and fashion design area coordinator.

Baba says she is “inspired by the universality and interdisciplinary nature of fashion.” Her line, Lady Like, delves into the emotional experiences of women’s health, melding “unconventional and attractive elements to create elegant, refined looks …”

Savitch aims to “push boundaries through sustainability, size-inclusivity, and traditional notions of gender,” in her work. Her line, Lilith, merges Victorian references with a rock and roll aesthetic, resulting in a feeling of immense power.

Other collections include Seger’s immersive Spiritual Erosion, which explores the intersections of politics, religion, and the Earth. Calixte’s work focuses on juxtaposition — pairing two unlike things together to create something beautiful, while Llewellyn turns to the past, inspired by her grandmother’s quilting.

Two students, Baba and Seger, recently received awards from the prestigious Fashion Scholarship Fund. Baba was also named a Top Four Finalist and will compete for a $25,000 prize this spring.

Event Information
Saturday, April 22, 2023, at 7:00pm
Holmes Lounge
Ridgley Hall
Washington University
RSVP here

The WashU Fashion Design Show is sponsored by Caleres, Mother Model Management, and Tacony Corporation.
Additional support provided by Dominic Michael Salon, Fashion Group International, Lux & Nyx, and Randi Nicole.