FACS Department Hosts 16th Annual Fashion Show

Just like we live in homes, we also live in clothing. And just as the architecture and design of our homes declare our personal styles, so do our clothes. 

The Liberty University Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) Department married fashion and architecture at the 16th annual fashion show April 2. This year’s theme, “Blueprint Couture: Where Fashion Meets Architecture,” challenged student designers with the task of selecting architectural influences and transforming them into a runway-ready garment. 

Matalie Howard, director of the show, thought about this theme for years. Howard decided to use this as her showstopping finale, foreshadowing an announcement she would make at the end of the show. 

The theme challenged students to get creative with their design skills. For many of the designers, this garment was their first designed for a runway show. Regardless of experience level, the process of successfully transforming a building into a runway-ready piece was challenging. 

Sophomore Lauren Bunting based her design on the Sistine Chapel. Bunting explained that the chapel is already complex, so translating that into a garment was a challenge. 

Through discussion with many designers and fashion show leadership, the key theme expressed by each individual was creativity and innovation. Some designers took on the challenge of creating their garment from an imaginary building or something architecturally non-conventional. Designer Emma Christine Morgan used the Arctic Monkeys’ “Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino” album cover as her inspiration. She created galactic-themed pieces that brought the audience back to the Jetsons’ era.

“For this, I took a lot of inspiration from the Jetsons,” Morgan said. “Because my building is not a real place, I had the opportunity to create my own world.” 

After the models walked the runway, the show stopped for a brief intermission, followed by the awards ceremony. The FACS department brought in fashion industry professionals to judge the looks. The awards included “Best Use of Sustainable Material,” awarded to first-year designer Moriah Whitlow. First-year designer Brooke Fail won “Best Use of Color.” 

The biggest award of the night was “Best of Show,” awarded to Louise Matera. Matera modeled her design from an ethereal greenhouse, incorporating different shades of green and gorgeously planned silhouettes. 

To close the show, designers, models, family and fashion show leadership created a video to honor Professor Howard. Howard has been teaching at Liberty for over 20 years and announced she will retire after this school year. Howard not only created the fashion show 16 years ago but also left a lasting impact on the people she taught and led. 

Professor Brown, Howard’s colleague, took the stage to say a few celebratory words, and this year’s designers presented Howard with roses as a show of gratitude. 

Each year, businesses from the Lynchburg area sponsor the show. This year’s sponsors included Ashley Grace Bridal, Church Street Bridal, The White Hart Café, Philanthropy, The Batter Bar and R. Coffee LTD. All proceeds from this year’s show go to the Habitat For Humanity of Altavista. 

Farmerie is a Champion contributor.