Ithaca College’s Emerson Suites was filled with music, cheering and fashion on the night of April 11 for HiFashion Studios‘ annual runway show. “The Final Cut,” inspired by movies of the past and the present, was the theme of the show.
“We mainly found inspiration from movie sub-genres. Our four walks are Victorian, Sci-Fi, Noir and Coming of Age,” said Phoebe Ertel, president of HiFashion Studios.
Each walk began with a short video clip featuring some of the films that the stylists drew inspiration from, followed by upbeat music played by Ithaca College students Matt Riccitelli and Jake Generali, who DJ’ed the show. The 58 models represented a diversity of bodies, skin colors and identities. They took to the runway dressed in clothing items such as trench coats, fringed pants, Gucci belts and holographic leggings.
Meredith Dunham, a senior Communications Management and Design major at Ithaca College and a wardrobe executive for HiFashion Studios, said that the theme was a hit with the team.
“I think I speak for the whole club when I say this is probably the best theme we’ve been a part of. We pulled it together really well.”
Maggie Verrette, also a wardrobe executive for HiFashion Studios, joined the organization during her junior year at Ithaca College.
“[HiFashion] is actually the only club on campus that has to do with fashion,” Verrette said. “So just kind of thinking about what I want to do after college made me think it would be a good idea to get some experience.”
The clothes and accessories used on the runway came together in a variety of ways. The organization has acquired lots of pieces over the years, and other pieces are purchased with money from fundraisers. The team members also draw inspiration from some of their own clothes.
“We like to do a lot of thrifting, which is a cool way to find some pieces that can be used for a bunch of different shows,” Ertel said. “We get a lot of donations from local vendors, which is really cool.”
Members of HiFashion Studios work all semester to prepare for the highly-anticipated show that attracts hundreds of people. The group starts planning for next semester’s show as soon as the last ends. One of the main aspects of HiFashion Studios is their photoshoots.
“It’s a big weekend we spend doing promo for all four different walks that are in the show, that way we have lots of cool material for the models to use on their social media, send to their family and friends — stuff like that. From there, we use the promo to promote the show,” Ertel said.
“It’s a lot of little things in between obviously, but all the hard work goes a long way.”
The show came to close with all the models and the behind-the-scenes team taking the runway one last time, showcasing a semester’s worth of work. For an executive board made up of primarily senior students, it was truly the “final cut.”
