Lights, camera, fashion.
The Integration of Faith and Culture (IFC) cabinet will be hosting their first ever fashion show, FABRICA, in the Euler atrium on Nov. 22 at 7 p.m.
Senior Jake Vriezelaar, IFC president, said FABRICA is just another part of the IFC story.
“IFC aims to engage with pop culture in a way that’s thoughtful and in a way that chooses to extract meaning out of what we consume every day,” Vriezelaar said.
FABRICA will consist of three different movements: the Local Legends line, the Around the World line and the Around the Block line. 15 designers and over 50 models worked together to make the project come to life. Mexican-inspired cuisine and craft sodas will also be available for purchase at the event.
Vriezelaar said the idea is to celebrate clothing being produced through students at Taylor and throughout the community. He said the show will travel from the local atmosphere to a world of popular fashion.
The world showcase piece of the show will first introduce street style from Chicago. Junior Emmanuel Terrell is from Chicago and designed the outfits which will represent the city from which so many within the Taylor community stem.
“I think one thing that’s super cool is bringing what I’ve seen in Chicago to Taylor,” Terrell said. “Even people that are from the city don’t know the ins and outs of the fashion industry.”
He also aims to incorporate the idea of the vintage community, since the vintage community seems to be growing drastically.
Terrell believes so much more lies outside of the popular thrifting movement.
“FABRICA will provide a sustainable idea of fashion,” Terrell said. “I hope (vintage community) will give people a window into different cultures that are within their own country.”
Senior Lynreshay Johnson also hopes to represent her culture through fashion. Johnson is from the Bahamas and desires to bring awareness to the different fashions Bahamians have. She noted that coats and joggers are often culture shocks to people who come to the Midwest.
Johnson said Androsia print is a common pattern within Bahamian culture. It is joined by Bahari Bahamas, a brand name that denotes high class and high style. While Androsia was used for Mosaic Night last semester, Johnson said Bahari, which is marked by gold plates on the back, will be represented at the fashion show.
“The print of Bahari can stop you in your tracks and make you realize it’s art,” Johnson said. “It’s the Gucci of the Bahamas. I’m really excited to show Taylor the fashionable side of my country.”
Vriezelaar is designing a line of his own. He’s focusing on summer outfits and hopes to resurrect some warmth in the midst of the dark cloud of winter. Many of his responsibilities, however, will lie in the supervision of the project.
Junior Natalie Baker is another IFC member who is pouring into the project behind the scenes. Baker will be the floor manager, which means she is in charge of timing out the models and giving everyone the final approval of the looks before they head out onto the runway.
Senior Chloe Thompson is doing all of the models’ makeup while Baker provides them with the encouragement they need before sending them into the crowd. Baker is excited to see the community come together and support each other in a unique way.
“We really haven’t explored this particular community at Taylor, and I think this is really a good way we can do this,” Baker said. “People are providing new ways to express themselves by playing a character with added flair.”
Each member of the cabinet has something they’re looking forward to as FABRICA approaches. Johnson enjoyed teaching people how to model and tap into their inner ego. Baker is excited to take a break from the current stressful atmosphere and creatively let go of burdens. She encourages people to come because IFC worked hard to plan the event and it will help relieve this stress.
For Vriezelaar, the event not only celebrates people who are wearing the clothes, but also gives individuals a peek into a culture completely different from theirs. He believes style is reflective of location and therefore is part of a conversation people are taking part in without even realizing.
“There’s no way we can encapsulate fashion because it’s constantly shifting and changing,” Vriezelaar said. “But we’re hoping to at least provide a window into our current moment in pop culture.”
