Ready, Set, Sew!

This year SHS Fashion for the Cure raised $59,000 dollars for The Dragonfly Foundation. All this money is in support of families whose kids are battling cancer. FFTC is an annual event that brings together our entire Sycamore community in appreciating the artistry and skill of its students, all while supporting a good cause. It is one of a kind and finds its way into people’s lives year after year. A week after the 2020 fashion show COVID-19 took hold and FFTC was unfortunately not able to be held in 2021. However, this setback only further motivated the committee, designers, volunteers, and others this year to work hard to come out with a bang for the 2022 show. So, that is exactly what happened. Featured are some notable designers and their collections from the show on February 18, 2022.

Junior Trisha Chidambaram made three gorgeous outfits for the show in brilliant colors, and different styles. “When I first started brainstorming and designing my mini collection, I knew I wanted it to be exciting and reflect my own style. After looking at so many different fabrics, I decided to go with a pink and black color scheme to match a downtown core. I chose to work with satin, corduroy, knit, and sparkly fabric so I could embody the contrasting looks of a downtown style! Designing the puffer jacket was so exciting, and I learned so many things along the way. Apart from the puffer, the most exciting thing I made for FFTC was definitely my transforming dress. It was so exciting to figure out the engineering and I loved watching the look come together!”

Senior Kai Blunt has been sewing for several years, using unique materials and fabrics to bring his extraordinary pieces to life. Some of the most notable parts of his collection this year were a dress made out of individually hand-stitched ties, as well as a patchwork leather trench coat. Explaining his unusual choice of textiles, Kai said “I try to let my materials speak for themselves—I come up with a design based on my fabric rather than the other way around. This year I tried to use as many found and recycled materials as possible, such as upholstery samples, old ties, and deadstock thrifted fabric, and to learn historical hand techniques such as smocking, the precursor to elastic. I want people to take stock of all the textiles they interact with in everyday life, as fabric waste is the biggest contributor to landfills. If we can increase the lifetime of the clothes we have by taking care of them and using them in new ways we can significantly decrease this amount of waste.”

Junior Macy Yun has a passion for designing, and she truly brought her all to this year’s show. When asked about the inspiration behind her unique piece, she said “Creating things has always been my outlet for stressful times! My outfit this year was specially designed to show how easily other people can affect your emotions shown through removable snap-on hearts. You can change the hearts to different colors similar to a mood tracker.”

Junior Claire Berlier crafted an amazing two outfit collection, featuring a stunning gown and a two-piece set. When asked about the intentions behind her work this year, she explained that her pieces “…take into consideration balancing texture and proportion. For both tops, I hand-crocheted the main bodice, creating uniquely textured stitch patterns. For the long skirt, I spent the most time during pattern drafting to get the cascade of the ruffles like I wanted. I used navy and white to maximize visual contrast and movement. I also wanted to balance the proportion of my ensemble with Mya’s. Mya’s ensemble has more visual detail and weight on top whereas mine is more visually heavy and detailed on the bottom. These finished pieces work together but stand apart on their own. It was so exciting to walk down the runway and finally share my creations and to do it at such an amazing event!”

Senior designer and FFTC committee co-chair Pippa Zolla made a collection for her third and final year at FFTC, explaining that “In past years I’ve made designs that were more of fun projects, but this year my clothes were actually garments I wanted to make so I could wear them. For example, my blue dress was for homecoming, and my black dress was my committee dress. I also experimented with a lot of new sewing techniques I’d been scared to attempt in the past in order to extend my craft further. Additionally, I really focused on making my pieces look as clean and professional as possible.”