EVOKE: Style

Claire Hanan, Assistant Editor at Milwaukee Magazine was into the design labs several weeks ago to interview the designers about their collections for Evoke. It was great to get an inside sneak peak about their inspiration and see what they’ve been cookin’ up down there! There was no shortage of beautiful fabrics and creative juices flowing in the fashion lab. So excited to see them up on the runway!

Also, do you guys ever find large quantities of dress forms to be somewhat eery? …

We do. 

Jury is the day that all fashion department instructors look forward to, and let’s be honest, all fashion students dread. This is the day that all garments must be completed, in order to be in the show. This means all zippers must be installed, all hems must be sewn, and all buttons must be secured on tight, all the while the designers try to get at least a few hours of sleep the night prior.

But let me tell you, it is worth it. It is a great motivation to get the designs finally finished, and it is awesome for us non-design students, because we are able to get a sneak peak of the designer’s collections before the show! Everything looked great! I was so pleased to see all of the hard work that was put into this year’s show so far.

There was everything from pastel resort wear, to a beautiful bridal collection, to sassy business wear, and even intricately machine-knit dresses. The creativity was cranked to full-speed this semester and the girls really produced some extremely eye-catching stuff. You have to see for yourself.

I think we are all excited that this highly stressful day has come and gone. With all of us running on little sleep and lots of caffeine, I think it’s safe to say that we are ready for Evoke to finally be here!

Buy your tickets here. You do NOT want to miss this one people!

Click the link below to buy tickets to the Evoke: Style Mount Mary College Fashion ShowFriday May 11th at the Hyatt Regency:

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/239217

Name: Jordan Hehn
Hometown: Milwaukee, WI
Grade: Senior

What is the theme of your collection?
The theme of my collection is 1960’s Resortwear.

What inspired your collection?
The real inspiration for my collection comes from repurposed vintage dresses. I was inspired by the colors and prints which reminded me of 1960’s beach getaways.

What designers inspire you in your everyday work?
My current favorites are Alberta Ferretti, Elie Saab, and Stella McCartney.

What are your plans/goals for after graduation?
My main goal after graduation is to get industry experience for a few years in the corporate atmosphere and then make the move out to either the east or west coast and work for a smaller design company.

What is your favorite spring 2012 trend?
My current favorite trend is pastel-colored denim and bright platform wedges.

We are so excited to see Jordan’s adorable beach-inspired collection!!

Name: Brenda Breuer
Hometown: Slinger, WI
Grade: Senior

What is the theme of your collection?

The theme of my collection is “Bridal Party.”

What inspired your collection?

Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Onassis-Kennedy, for their classic look. I have also always had a huge interest in bridal wear.

What designers inspire you in your everyday work or for this collection specifically?

In general, I am inspired by Diane Von Furstenburg. But specifically for my collection, I was inspired by Pronovias and San Patrick, which is a Spanish bridal company based out of Barcelona.

What are your plans/goals for after graduation?

My plan is to intern to get more experience within the industry in bridal and textile-print design. I am actually going to be doing an internship, starting in September, in London, working in one of those two categories.

What is your favorite spring 2012 trend?

I love all of the current prints, especially the florals!

Sounds like Brenda has a lot to look forward to in the near future! We wish her the best of luck and are looking forward to seeing her bridal collection!

Name: Abby Janiszewski

Grade:  First Semester Senior

Hometown: Oak Creek

What inspired your collection?

My inspiration came from trend analysis of magazines; I liked a color palette for a bridal collection and transferred those ideas into ready-to-wear. I wanted to go with spring colors since last years was dark colors.  

What designer inspires you?

Rachel Zoe and bridal designer, Maggie Sottero. I like Maggie Sottero because she has good fitting bridal dresses that have a variety of flattering shapes.

What spring/summer trend are you most looking forward to?

High wasted skirts and bandeau tops because they are cute and young.

What are your future plans/goals after graduating?

My plans are to open a bridal boutique with my own designs. I would like to mass market some of my designs and keep some contracted, private designs.

We are excited to see what Abby has in store for the Evoke show!!! 

Well, models have been picked! The girls have been informed about whether or not they have made it into the show. Obviously, the criteria was based on a lot of different things: walk, size, availability, etc. Luckily, if they weren’t able to actually walk in the show, they have the opportunity to help out backstage or as ushers, which is SUPER helpful to us!

Suddenly this makes us realize how fast the show will be coming up. Sketches and visions have been transformed into actual garments. Although we will save those details for later, I will say that the model auditions really got us inspired. The show is underway and we have a lot of work to do in the next month and a half!

Model auditions took place last Monday evening. More girls than expected showed up which was great because having too many is always better than having too few. Watching the girls audition and walk down the runway got us excited for the process of the show to begin. 

If you’re waiting to hear back about whether or not you have been chosen to be a model, hang tight: you will get a letter otherwise the model names have been posted in Kostka hall in the Fashion Department! Let us know via our Facebook page if you have any additional questions. Thanks to everyone who auditioned!

Keep checking back for updates on Evoke! 

Some ideas to represent our “Evoke: Style” theme are watercolor imagery, fashion sketches and silhouettes, bold colors and modern art. We want to bring the new event into a modern atmosphere without losing the Mount Mary name. We are excited for new things to come and bring in a new expanded audience. Check back to see more inspiration and keep up with the creation of Evoke!

…This is where we are going to take some of our designers, and interview them. This is a great way for everyone to get a sneak peak of EVOKE! Here’s our first interview:

Name: Megan Zeman
Grade: Senior
Hometown: Oconomowoc
Theme and season of collection: Fall 2012. Menswear inspired womenswear.

What inspired your collection?
Gangs of New York, transferred into womenswear. Also, Alexander McQueen menswear. Very Gangs of New York Inspired.

What designer inspires you?
Ralph Lauren. He really knows how to make a lifestyle brand. Everyone knows his name. He’s just all about the heritage of America.

What spring/summer trend are you most looking forward to?
Twin sets- cardigan and shell. I’m a big fan of classic clothing.

What are your future plans/goals after graduating?
Find a job locally.

We are looking forward to seeing what Megan is going to bring forward for EVOKE!!!