Noah Eaton, a senior in SIU Carbondale’s fashion studies program, works on his Desperado collection ahead of the annual Student Showcase and Fashion Show. (Photos by Russell Bailey except the Aaliyah Lewis photo is provided)
April 15, 2026
SIU fashion studies students take center stage with fashion, merchandising concepts
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Brightly lit third-floor studio lights in Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Quigley Hall on late nights in early April mean one thing — the clock is ticking for students to complete their bold, artistic visions for the Fashion Studies program’s Student Showcase and Fashion Show on Thursday, April 23.
“I’m in here most nights, I probably take one day off out of a week” working until 11 p.m. or midnight, said Lennon Adams, a senior fashion design major from Kappa, Illinois, as he gently ripped out a collar on his Caramel Apple Concussion apparel line outfit because “it wasn’t quite right.”
Nearby, senior Shantell Tompkins, who is designing under the name, Telle, is busy working on her beach and seashell-inspired “Eternal Fold” collection.
“Time is something that really needs to be taken seriously,” said Tompkins, who is from Mounds, Illinois. “If you slack off even for a day, you are going to fall behind.”
For Adams, Tompkins and senior Noah Eaton of O’Fallon, Illinois, time is crucial as they work on their respective collections. The runway fashion show begins at 7 p.m. in Ballroom D. The student showcase, with featured works from students in the fashion design and fashion merchandising specializations, is from 6 to 7 p.m. in the John W. Corker Lounge.
The program is free and open to the public.
“The next two weeks I’m going to be pretty busy,” said Eaton, who finished his fashion merchandising specialization in May 2025, and who will complete the fashion design specialization next month. “A lot of my designs right now are completely finished, patterned and sampled. It’s literally sewing. I’m going to be living in the studio finishing things up. Lots of late nights pretty much.”
Time management lessons
Laura Kidd, an associate professor and fashion studies program director, said the three designers each illustrate “very different ideas” with their lines.
“It’s been fun to watch them come to life. It’s going to be an interesting show,” she said.
Students begin planning for shows during the fall semester conceiving their ideas and designs and then “hit the pavement” working to produce them in the spring.
“I hope they take away a sense of accomplishment and how important having a good work ethic is,” Kidd said. “Hopefully they also understand the importance of time management skills. But I hope they get a good sense of accomplishment – it’s really a big job.”
Varied fashion lines
Eaton’s “Desperado” line, which includes Napoleonic suit jackets, reimagines the cowboy/western look with French art embellishments featuring paisleys, velvets and rich fabrics. He incorporated corsets “to show off all the things I’m cable of doing.”
“I really love doing tailoring,” said Eaton, who started sewing while in high school as a hobby during the COVID pandemic. “That is what I want to do eventually after I get out of college. I worked as a tailor for a bit and since I’ve started school here, with all my collections, this element has been taking suiting and kind of just doing my own thing with it.”
The program is “really great at allowing students to explore different aspects of the industry,” Eaton said. “With design, you are able to pick your own path and decide what you want to do.”
Eaton is considering graduate school or moving to New York City and pursuing a job in costuming.
“I think I would be good at costume design and from there I want to do commissions and own my own fashion design business.”
Adams’ line is inspired by the Japanese manga comics/cartoon series “Paradise Kiss” and features high school students who are fashion designers. Each of the outfits are representative of characters on the show. The line features different shapes, colors and silhouettes “so each one is its own experience and there is a learning curve to put it together.”
Adams noted that he has always been the “creative type.” The sewing process that involves working with his hands, putting pieces together, is therapeutic.
“I can sit back, put on my headphones and tune out. It feels nice,” said Adams, who is looking forward to the show.
“There is still time, but I want to make sure that everything is done and done well,” he said. “I’m excited about it.”
Tompkins’ collection utilizes pleating techniques and shimmering details as “moving architecture,” inspired by the sea’s natural movement and seashells. She also gets inspiration from her classmates’ lines and ideas. Tompkins became interested in sewing watching her aunt create small gowns for her to wear but arrived in the program without any sewing experience.
“They have been very patient with me,” she said, smiling. A double major in fashion design and marketing, Tompkins will graduate in May 2028 after completing the marketing program. She sees the marketing path enhancing her future fashion design goals.
“My plan is to own my own business. I know it’s going to take a few years, but that’s my end goal,” she said. “I’m excited for the future.”
A new twist in merchandising class
Fashion merchandising seniors Aaliyah Lewis and Kayla Vaughn, both from Chicago, brought a different component to associate professor Siwon Cho’s class this year — Lewis and Vaughn already have online hair extensions and accessories businesses that they plan to expand.
They will discuss their capstone projects at 6 p.m. in Corker Lounge.
Lewis began Ameria Beauty — which sells XXL scrunchies to women with long, thick, curly, wavy and coil hair types — while in high school, opening her first Etsy shop and launching her website in 2025. Lewis said she started the business because of her own hair struggles.
“Being a girl with thick hair I understand the feeling when a scrunchie or a hair tie breaks when trying to make a ponytail, so out of that frustration I started to design scrunchies that were made for thick hair,” she said.
Vaughn’s online hair extension business, Kay la Fluer, also began with an idea in high school. While her business currently also offers eyelashes and wigs, Vaughn plans to narrow the line to wigs and wig styling. Vaughn said the class helped her in organizing, developing a business plan, finding and narrowing her target market and utilizing comparative research to see “how I could make my brand stand out more.”
“The class helped me because it was everything I was going to do,” she said. “When Dr. Cho told us we were going to work on our own businesses, I was happy. It’s always difficult doing homework and working on your business.”
The course pushed Lewis to “think more strategically about my brand and how I can continue to grow it. I gained a clearer vision of my goals, as well as a better understanding of the steps I need to take to turn my business into something more established and successful.”
This is the first time students have worked on a business they have already established, Cho said. The class allowed Lewis and Vaughn to examine their businesses strengths and weaknesses and look ahead. Both are working on five- and 10-year business plans.
“We come up with a new theme every year, so with something like this that we’ve never done before, it’s always exciting,” Cho said. “I’m glad that they were able to see who they are and what they can do in the future, so they can plan one-by-one and make it happen.”
After graduating, Lewis wants to continue to grow her business “while also exploring my career path within the fashion industry.” She hopes to be a product developer and is particularly interested in being part of the sustainable fashion industry, “focusing on developing products that are not only well-designed but also environmentally responsible.”
Vaughn will launch her website shortly after graduating. Her first-year goal is to have a growing website and a social media platform presence. Vaughn eventually wants to open a business that includes hair and beauty products, along with a floral component and a fashion line. She is also considering pursuing a master’s degree in fashion and beauty communications from the Vogue College of Fashion in London.
Fashion Studies lineup
The student showcase at 6 p.m. in Corker Lounge will include exhibits of student work from fashion illustrations, visual communications and student portfolios.
At 7 p.m., the Runway Fashion Show in Ballroom D begins with Dressed for Effect, with works from first-year designers:
- Grace Ahne, Freeburg, Illinois.
- Bethany Foster, Metamora, Illinois.
- Iniya Jayabalan, Chennai, India.
- Faith Pryor, Carbondale, Illinois.
Six advanced second- and third-year students will present fashion designs from mini-line Time after Time collections that highlight decades from the early 20th century to the 1970s:
Second-year designers and their line names include:
- Julia Dunlap, Kankakee, Illinois. — “Verdant,” inspired by art nouveau and early 20th century designers.
- Bailey Fry, designing under the name, Bailey Reyn, Millington, Tennessee. — “Salvaged Dreams,” inspired by a variety of designs from the 1930s.
- Alexandria Akers, Palatine, Illinois. — “Le Nouveau,” inspired by Christian Dior’s New Look from the 1940s.
- Anna Neimeyer, designing under the name, Anna Lucia, Elmo, Illinois. — “Patchwork Prairie,” inspired by the 1970s country western/prairie look.
- Hieronymous Tice, Lincoln, Illinois — “Wanted,” streetstyle inspired by the 1970s.
Third-year designer
- Chloe Antoine, Jerseyville, Illinois. — “Reina,” evening wear inspired by the strength and femininity of women.
More information on the fashion studies program is available at academics.siu.edu/design/fashion-design/ or by calling 618-453-1970.