Senior Collection
For my senior collection, I created two full outfits and one jacket that represented my love for athleisure, bright colors, and the Oregon Japanese Gardens. I was also inspired to use the beautiful knit fabric Nike had donated to the OSU Apparel Program the previous term. When I acquired four rolls of the Nike Fabric, I just knew these would be the fabric I would use to create a matching jogger and sweatshirt set as well as a skirt and tank set.
Inspiration
Originally, my collection was designed for weightlifters since that is the sport I currently compete in. However, I decided to change some aspects of my designs to better fit with the AATCC “Art in Motion” fashion show I produced and directed in May of 2022 (More about the show itself in the AATCC Section of my portfolio).
Illustrator and Sketches
The picture below shows my original sketches and Illustrator sketches. Instead of the short skort I had created, I went with a long sleek midi skirt to show more fabric on the runway. I also decided to replace the leggings and long line sports bra with a jacket that will be described more in detail below. This jacket was a last minute decision before the show and ended up being my most loved pieces in the collection by friends, family, and even strangers who saw it!
Patterns
After deciding on my designs for the collection and the fashion show, it was time to start my block patterns. I based the sizing of my garments around my friend Hannah’s measurements as she was my fit model. The jogger and sweatshirt set were created to be an oversized look which I took into consideration when making my pattern. The midi skirt was form fitting with a flared bottom to allow for easy walking. The matching tank top was meant to be cropped, have a high neck, and an open back.
First Fit Session
For my first fit session, I tried both the sweatshirt and jogger set on my model Hannah. The sweatshirt was a great fit to begin with which was very exciting. I decided to move the side circles up and scale it smaller. I liked the length of the bodice, but there was not much room left under the circles for a seam allowance for the waistband. For the joggers, I knew right away that the overall length was at least 5 inches too short and the front/back rise was around 7 inches too short. This was a great learning lesson when my teacher Marianne Dickson, explained the importance of taking the measurement from the back seam and looping to the front seam to get a final rise measurement. consideration when making my pattern. The midi skirt was form fitting with a flared bottom to allow for easy walking. The matching tank top was meant to be cropped, have a high neck, and an open back.
I did not meet with my model for a fitting of the skirt and tank top prototype due to scheduling conflicts. Since my model Hannah and I are around the same size, I used myself as a reference. The first tank top I made fit nicely and had enough room in the arms and neck for comfortable movement. I decided to cut two inches from the bottom of the tank top because I found that to be more flattering. I also shortened the shoulders by 1 inch which again, I thought was more flattering and gave a less boxy/wide shoulder appearance. The skirt was easy to fit since it is meant to be a simple A-line design. When I first sewed the skirt, it was too big around the waist which led me to take a total of 4 inches total off the sides of the skirt at the waist (2 inches on both sides.)
AATCC 2021 LookBook
I'm the current Chair of the OSU Student Chapter/club AATCC. Due to the restrictions of this past year's pandemic, we could not have our live annual fashion show that we produce at the Oregon State University campus this year. Instead, we took this opportunity to create the second installment of our LookBook series. This virtual book has become a way to connect and share our talent with not only student designers across OSU but also hundreds of people across the country through digital media.