Fashion students to display work in annual show
By Karen Aney (Staff Writer) – Email
University can be pretty boring if all you do is go to class, take tests, and hand in papers. So why not take advantage of your campus activities? There’s a great event happening on April 28 – the UFV Fashion department’s annual fashion show, Absolute Style 2011. There are two shows, at 2:30 and 7:00 p.m., and it’s being held in the gymnasium at the Envision Athletic Centre. So it’s on campus, and classes are already over for the semester. Sounds like a good situation, right?
The show presents a myriad of looks from across the program. Grad students create three complete outfits. These outfits are the product of many stages of work: research into upcoming trends, targeted market, appropriate materials, and construction techniques. All designs are sketched and submitted for approval before the students progress with their projects; in other words, these collections are extremely carefully thought out and presented.
Also featured are individual courses in the Fashion program, such as Machine Knitting, Draping, and Surface Design. This aspect makes the show unique: rather than exhibiting simply completed collections from grad students, the depth of the department is demonstrated through showing various techniques and studies in different areas of the industry. To clarify: it’s kind of like the best outfits from every episode of Project Runway, all crammed into one show.
While the show sold out last year due to its popularity, this year promises to be even better. The department has seen improvements this year with the introduction of new technology, bringing it closer to current industry standards. Department head Deanna Devviit explains that the program has recently gained a computerized floor loom, which allows the students to create fabrics with intricate patterns and designs. Further, they have begun using new 3D software, “which will allow students to see their work on a 3D life-like model before cutting and sewing the garment.” This is a great advance for our school, as UFV is the only program in western Canada using this software. Deanna further explains: “the use of 3D is already revolutionizing the industry by cutting down on time and cost.” To conceptualize that: if you’re trying to write an essay, the equivalent of this machine would look at some notes you’ve written, imagine the essay for you, and tell you if it’s worth the effort of writing it yet. That would make for some pretty fantastic papers; it’s a great tool for the program to have access to.
For those of you who would like to attend, here are some things to keep in mind: first, media is always in attendance, so it’s a great chance to show your fashionable side. Translation: this probably isn’t the best time to wear your Uggs, no matter how much they cost. During the show, it’s alright to show your respect for the designers’ hard work by cheering, but do remember that this is an artistic presentation; cheering so loud that the music is drowned out would not be appreciated.
If you’re planning to go, buy your ticket now: the sales are already outpacing last year’s. Tickets can be purchased only in advance by calling 604-864-4669, emailing Corinne.richardson@ufv.ca, or visiting the fashion department’s website at http://www.ufv.ca/Fashion.htm.
