Art by design

N.C. State fashion designers ramp up the style quotient

RALEIGH -- It took Genavieve White about a year to figure out just how gory she wanted her models to look for Thursday's "Art to Wear" fashion show at N.C. State. One had decaying, peeling-off skin. Another had oozing fake guts and torn muscles showing. A third had an ax stuck in his shoulder.

Not exactly the stuff you'd expect at a fashion show.

But to White, a senior from Atlanta studying industrial design, her zombie makeup and special effect tricks were exactly what the show's about -- art to wear. And that doesn't necessarily have to mean fashion.

"I felt like the show had strayed away from what it was about: expression," she said.

So with foam latex prosthetics, airbrushing techniques and extra sets of dentures, White's theatrical zombie scene helped the show become the most ambitious yet. The 15 student designers reached deeper to create daring collections, including a line of "Star Wars"-worthy costumes and a thought-provoking line of dresses drawing on environmental and social awareness.

It was also the biggest show in the six years of Art to Wear. At least 1,500 people watched the runway show in the Court of North Carolina, more than double the number of people who watched last year in the smaller pit area near Kamphoefner Hall.

And this year, it wasn't just students in the audience. A few local designers, including Durham dress designer Kimberly Gunter of Buzz & Berly and Kelly Shatat of Raleigh's Moon and Lola jewelry, were there to see what their peers had to offer.

"It's amazing what talent is here in Raleigh," Shatat said.

Vita Plume, an assistant professor in the College of Design who is one of the show's faculty advisers, said the student designers were more focused this year on creating themes in their collections, which made for a more fluid show.

One of the strongest themes came from Liz Dickinson, a senior from Charlotte who is studying textile and apparel management. Her goal was to reach the audience with a series of hoop skirt dresses that sent a message about environmental and social awareness.

Just how do you show toxic waste through fashion? Paint a black floral print dress with streaks of glow-in-the-dark lime green.

Urban sprawl? Weld a hoop skirt into the shape of a boxy house, then top it with fabric designed (by Dickinson) with houses on it.

Hurricane destruction? Braid yards and yards of royal blue fabric for a bodice and have the rest of the fabric pour over a hoop skirt with those same printed houses on it.

"It's so important for me that clothes are socially and environmentally sound," said Dickinson, who wants to go into eco-fashion. "That's the future of the industry."

Sara Marie Jenkins, a junior from Greenville studying textile and apparel management, also kept a strong focus on theme, creating a line of four wearable dresses, each with different fabrics to represent the seasons. A dark gray sheath with snowflakes for winter; a floral print A-line dress for spring; a lime green swirl print halter dress for summer; and a brown sheath with subtle leaf prints for fall.

Two other designers' collections stood out among the most marketable: Holly Weaver and Emily Cosgrove.

Weaver, a senior from Asheville studying textile and apparel management, presented seven classic cocktail dresses, all of which could easily be sold in an area boutique. Weaver's strength isn't just in classic design. She also paid close attention to detailing, adding piping and lace and ribbon trim to several dresses. Among the standouts: A black mini empire-waist dress with ribbon trim, and a white and blue tutu dress.