Grace Diviny, Staff Writer
If you are looking for a way to express your creativity through designing, makeup, or modelling, look no further than the State Fashion Society club on campus! It is a great opportunity to get involved if you are a lover of fashion, are a fashion major or planning to become one, or to just be a part of a welcoming, creative environment.
Melanie Lowell, the president of SFS, joined the club her second semester of freshman year to get more involved with the community as a fashion major herself, in which she ended up falling in love with the club altogether, stating “I stayed so long because I just love the community, and there were so many people you could be friends with and so many different opportunities you could dip your toes into.”
According to Model Coordinator Natalia Sevilla, who joined with previous modelling experience prior to Oneonta, her inspiration for her current position was the lack of a structured environment during the photoshoots her freshman year. “I remember it being such a mess. It was not organized and it would last forever. There was no model coordinator in sight. And then by the time my freshman year ended, I realized I was the most experienced model because I went to every photoshoot there.”
Every year, the State Fashion Society has a fashion show, and this year’s theme is Rococo Revival, a romantic period esque. Lowell said that she has been preparing nonstop to make sure things go smoothly. She has been reaching out to different people to make sure they have the funds for everything and keep in touch with club members as an opportunity for them to get involved.
They also have been planning multiple different fundraisers, to help with the cost of their events such as bake sales. She herself is a designer in the show, so she has been planning intensely during Human Ecology lab hours. Sevilla also says that the theme has been working, stating that this is the first semester in which every designer she is working with is understanding the theme to the point where there is a dedication that she has not always seen in previous semesters.
The show’s themes are always something people can be curious about how it works, in which Sevilla said it goes through a few phases on how the theme is chosen. The basis comes from the first meeting, where the E-Board members ask all new members to come up with any ideas that they will write down no matter if it makes sense or not, including their previous theme “Out of The Toybox.” Other times, it will be discussed in E-Board meetings where multiple ideas will be condensed or combined. It is then put out there, and club members eventually decide, finally the idea must be given the green light by Fashion Advisor Dr. Chiwese.
Set Designer Crystal Fierros-Garcia believes that one of the main ways that draws people to State Fashion Society is the chance to be able to model and be a part of the fashion show, something she says that many of them would not have the opportunity to do elsewhere.
“Not everyone can say they do that, and it’s just a fun experience to do it with your friends, getting to know the other models. It’s like a skill you develop in the club basically.”
Lowell added on, saying “I think a huge thing is being able to be any major or any year and participate as a designer or a model or just someone helping. I think that is the most interesting part. And then we also have more than just the show. We have our magazine that comes out that is compiled of photoshoots of our members, and I think that is something that people really like to come around for.”
Sevilla also stated that another thing that separates them from other fashion clubs is the reduction of competition compared to city schools with fashion programs.
“We are in upstate New York, you know? We’re not in New York City so all that competition, that fighting tooth and nail, that your club members are your competition. That is just gone from this environment. Like if you wanted to model with us, and it didn’t work out, then you are contacted by someone asking if you want to model for another designer or get another opportunity. Like you end up finding a place.” The State Fashion Society’s show is on Saturday, April 25th, and it will be held at Alumni Field House at 4 PM. Absolutely stop by and watch if you are interested in joining next year or to simply support the club!