Communicating with fashion: Student designers incorporate texture into original pieces for upcoming event

Fashion combines creativity and inspiration; it has no barriers or borders. It is a medium that everyone can speak through, and in this case, it is Liberty University students who are communicating through their creations. 

Liberty’s Family & Consumer Sciences department (FACS) is hosting its 18th annual FACS Fashion Show in the School of Music Concert Hall April 13. This year’s theme is “Le Monde de Texture” (the world of texture). Outside of the show being a huge production, it challenges student designers trying to express themselves through their designs.

Beginning with 20 student designers, 40 student models, those in leadership roles, CSER volunteers and the tech team, over 100 people are coming together to put on this show. This year, it all happened to begin with Liberty student Elise Oliver.

Oliver is the director of the 2024 FACS Fashion Show and a junior studying fashion design. She began planning the event in July, and the official process started in September with the Designer’s Launch. Potential designers attended the event to hear the show’s theme and begin brainstorming.

Oliver broke down where the inspiration for this year’s show came from.

“When you think of fashion, you think of … art. You think of people and cities and fashion weeks and runways and magazines. And one thing that really spoke to me was, it’s fashion and art, but what makes art?” Oliver said. “There’s so many different textures and types of fashion and types of materials that you can use to create garments. So, I was really inspired by … all the different textures, especially across fashion, beauty and culture.”

Last year’s theme was “Fashion Speaks,” and Oliver credits the designers from last year for pushing her to new creative heights.

“It was kind of whatever speaks to you as a designer. And so, I saw the designers were very challenged by that because they had so much freedom,” Oliver said. “So, I
wanted to continue that challenge. How can I challenge my creativity but include
texture? Texture is something fun, I thought.”

Senior Avery Ours is participating in the fashion show for the first time. She’s designing one garment, and she felt this year’s theme really gave room for creative choices. 

“I honestly thought it was pretty interesting because it’s kind of nice having this opportunity to … go out of your way to do something that’s haute couture,” Ours said. “Now you get to … have creative freedom. And the theme is not so much restrictive; it’s … guiding to feed your ideas.”

Krislyn Grigg is a junior and a third-year fashion show designer. 

“It’s a great experience because my first year I just kind of threw myself into it. I had no idea how to sew at all,” Grigg said. “It’s just a great community because you can go into the sewing lab, and they’ll just (say), ‘Oh, I’ll help you, girl!’ and make you learn. They’re all super sweet and nice, and honestly, it is a really great experience. I enjoy it every year.”

Grigg wanted to dive deep and communicate through her art, and she believes this show’s theme has allowed her to do that.

“For this year, I really took inspiration from … my personal stories and backgrounds. I really took that into it,” Grigg said. “I can implement the texture through this kind of thing. I just wanted to really take in my story and keep it all my personal branding.”

As the date of the fashion show approaches, designers have been adding their finishing touches and preparing their pieces’ testimonies. Tickets are on sale for $12 at this website. Tickets will also be sold at the door for $15. The show begins April 13 at 8 p.m.

Napier is a feature reporter for the Liberty Champion