O’More Fashion Show Bridges Community and Creativity

Highly-anticipated annual showcase supports local organizations CreatiVets and Gigi’s Playhouse

On April 19, O’More College of Architecture and Design hosted its annual fashion show on campus for the second time in Belmont’s Curb Event Center. The show was full of innovative designs from the college’s dedicated and diverse student body. The ensembles spoke for themselves, simultaneously dazzling and educating the captivated audience. 

“What you'll see tonight is not only cutting-edge fashion, but the work of students who are truly empathetic,” said Dean Jhennifer Amundson at the beginning of the night. “This show exemplifies what we aspire to do at O’More College — to use design to create more beauty and more justice in the world.”

In line with the program’s strong ties to the community and consistent efforts to merge the showcase with advocacy and awareness, the event raised awareness for multiple organizations and highlighted O’More’s community-focused curriculum. 

GiGi’s Playhouse: Putting the Spotlight on Inclusive Design

For the third time since 2017, O’More joined forces with GiGi’s Playhouse, an organization that offers ​​free educational, therapeutic-based and career development programs tailored for individuals with Down syndrome and their families.

Thirteen junior fashion design students were paired with a teenager — ages 14-18 — with Down syndrome for the show. The students got to know their partners and designed individual, inclusive pieces, inspired by their new friends. The teenagers showcased the one-of-a-kind creations by wearing them down the runway at Friday’s show.

“We immediately knew this was a partnership we wanted to pursue,” said former GiGi’s Playhouse site manager Janea Cathey, recalling her first meeting with O’More. “Not only does this bring awareness to the everyday challenges for individuals with disabilities (like how buttons can be challenging and take away from a teen’s independence if they need support, or the texture of clothing being uncomfortable), but also allowed the students to use their knowledge and skills to create something that was stylish and accommodating to their model's needs.”  

Several participants — including Blair Bender, paired with designer Isabella Cabrera —have experienced the excitement of the fashion show before. “Blair participated when she was 8 years old. When we heard there was an opportunity to do this fashion show again, we jumped at the chance to sign up!” said Blair’s mother, Lori Ann Bender.

As a now 17-year-old, this year’s design reflects Blair’s love for all things Barbie. “Her favorite colors and the comfy style express her confident commitment to being herself in all circumstances. Blair has delighted in sharing a bit about herself with her new fashion friend Isabella,” said Bender. 

From formal wear to basketball attire to video-game inspired clothing, the GiGi’s collection showed impressive range and stood out as a crowd favorite.

“I love that this partnership allows our participants to be celebrated and embraced in their community just as they are - incredible, unique, creative, and powerful,” said Emily Sheridan, programs coordinator for GiGi’s Playhouse.

Junior Emma Parkinson was inspired by her model Daniel Witty’s love of horseback riding and western styles. “Creating garments for Daniel and collaborating with GiGi's Playhouse has taught me so much about alterations and making custom garments, and has grown my collaboration skills,” said Parkinson. “It has truly been a highlight from my year.”

CreatiVets: Showcasing the Life-Changing Power of Art

Forging a new collaboration with CreatiVets, which empowers wounded veterans to heal through the arts and music, eight sophomore students working on a nonprofit studio project partnered with four military veteran from CreatiVets, and each designed a garment based on a piece of artwork from one of the veterans.

CreatiVets first partnered with Watkins College of Art in 2021 for a three-week summer art program and gallery exhibition. Since then, expanding the Belmont collaboration to O’More College was a natural progression, especially as the Creativets has begun to introduce related programming such as sewing.  

“Through art, we see these folks open up and put the shield down. They’re connecting with people on a deeper level and getting excited to show up and jump in every day,” said Tim Brown, art director for CreatiVets. “The exhibition is open to the public, and they actually get to watch people appreciate their work. Many of them didn’t even want to have these conversations with their friends and family before they started, so the fact that they're talking their stories through with total strangers by the end speaks volumes to the program’s effectiveness.”

Sophomore students Ashlee Elliott and Alexandra Edgar both drew inspiration from "The Orchard" by veteran Gino Soto, a former infantry squad leader who lost a friend during deployment. The pair got to know Gino’s story and reflected on his art: a white canvas with red lettering of "I love my life" written all over with a casted hand holding a pomegranate, signifying the last conversation he had with his friend. 

“Alex and I decided to only use three colors in our designs, black to symbolize the delicacy ofdeath, white for innocence and red for bloodshed,” said Elliott. From there, they each put their own twist on the set of garments. “What inspired me the most, was the love for life that his friend had. I loved talking to Gino, and this project has definitely changed the way that I look at life,” she continued. 

Fashion Merchandising: Behind the Scenes Heroes

The entire fashion department aids in putting the show together, including fashion merchandising students who take the lead on pairing the models, coordinating fittings, organizing the run of show, creating promotional materials and providing back-of-house support. 

O’More classes prepare students for dynamic industry right away, providing a holistic look into different sectors of fashion merchandising, from retail buying to visual merchandising to product proposal and development simulation. Projects are designed to be portfolio-ready at completion and students are encouraged from the start to launch LinkedIn pages and document each step in their creative evolution. 

“This class in particular we are practically working the job in and outside of class,” said fashion merchandising student Lane Hamilton. 

Leading the social media team for the show, her focus has been on developing the fashion program’s new Instagram page from the ground up, getting students involved in takeovers and giving the public an inside look into life at Belmont and preparing for a large-scale fashion show. 

As a senior nearing graduation, Hamilton reflected on how the past four years molded her interests and helped her hone in on her career ambitions. “It’s been so interesting and meaningful. The work I’m focusing on now keeps me going because I found what I’m passionate about.”

Senior Send-Off

With inspiration points as wide-ranging as the ensembles created, senior students drew influence from career wear, ballet silhouettes and Formula 1 racing, among a variety of other thoughtful style motifs. 

Shimmering under the runway lights, the collection fit the band’s name, which translates to “moonlight” in Danish. “At O’More, you have a lot of freedom to discover yourself as an artist,” continued Sornthong. “Every single professor helps you get to where you are in your senior year, ready for the outside world and reaching your full potential. The expectation gets higher every year, but they prepare you every step of the way.” 

View additional images from the 2024 O’More Fashion Show.