EKU Honors Student Competes In Fashion Competition
Eastern Kentucky University Honors Program student Rebecca Reynolds, Louisville, has been selected to compete in Waterfront Fashion Week as part of her senior thesis.
“It is kind of amazing to see what started out as an Honors Thesis has turned into,” Reynolds said. “Really, when I started, all I knew was that I wanted to sew something.”
A senior criminal justice major, Reynolds enrolled in a flat pattern and draping design course after deciding to design something for her Honors Program Senior Thesis. As part of the beginning fashion designers' course, students are required to enter the Waterfront Fashion Week competition as an assignment.
“Since I didn't think that I had much of a chance making it even into the next round, I just thought that I would have some fun and not worry about making the absolute perfect garment,” Reynolds said. “Apparently, the judges liked it because after a couple of rounds of elimination, I'm still in it. Never did I actually think that I would make it all the way to the finals.”
Competing against four other designers, Reynolds will present at least three of eight outfits during the Fashion Week, Oct. 16-20. The first three of her outfits will be shown near the end of the week, and the top two designers will show their entire collection Saturday, Oct. 20. From this final show, one winner will be selected. The winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize, featured runway show in 2013 Waterfront Fashion Week, photography of the collection with the winner of the 2012 Waterfront Fashion Week Model Competition, featured story with a magazine partner and a meeting with a successful designer on how to mass-produce a clothing line.
From music to hair and makeup, competitors each produce their own show entirely. Reynolds, working since February, has designed and constructed six of her eight outfits with guidance from Apparel Design and Merchandising assistant professor and thesis mentor Susan Kipp.
“Without the help of my multiple sewing instructors,” Reynolds said, “there is absolutely no way I could have even started designing my collection. The ADM department also let me borrow a lot of equipment (deluxe sewing machine, dress form, etc.) from the sewing lab for the summer so I could continue my work at home.
“Linda Frost, the Honors Program director, has been incredibly supportive along the way and is always eager to hear about Waterfront Fashion Week. The EKU honors' thesis program is what gave me the chance to be able to bring my idea of designing my own collection to life.”
Published on October 08, 2012