BOW Students Collaborate in ‘Untitled’ Fashion Show
Students focusing on the divergent fields of business, engineering, and liberal arts can still agree on a lot of things: a cellphone battery is precious, coffee helps you study, and fashion is fun.
On April 20, students from three area colleges joined forces to collaborate in the “Untitled” Fashion Show, held at the Weissman Foundry at Babson. Entrants were welcome to upcycle or alter an existing piece, or to design something from scratch.
“It became clear that many students from all three campuses made the widest range of incredibly creative things for bodies,” explained Janos Stone, manager of Innovation + Design (Spaces) at the open-door design studio. Stone said that the show had only one directive: “If you make it for a body, we will show it.”
An Eclectic Showing
Nearly three dozen undergraduates and one graduate student represented schools from Babson College, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering, and Wellesley College, which use the acronym “BOW.” The three schools are part of the Three College Collaboration, launched a decade ago to expand educational opportunities and interdisciplinary approaches to teaching and problem solving across the three neighboring campuses. This fashion show was another successful example of what can result from the partnership.
Participants came to the event from a wide range of experiences. Some student-entrepreneurs are already running their own clothing lines. Others had never made anything before, and a few came to the Foundry to learn to sew so they could be part of the show.
“It is events such as these that give student-artists opportunities to experiment in areas they haven’t attempted before,” said Meghan Timmons, a Class of 2021 student-designer from Wellesley College who is majoring in architecture and environmental studies. Although she had a prior interest in fashion, she had never created an outfit before. “The fashion show was such an uplifting experience that I want to keep exploring design through clothing.”
There was no limit to the number of pieces that each student could submit. In the end, 36 designers and 45 models from the BOW schools participated in the show, which drew an audience of more than 350 people.
“The turnout was great and incredibly diverse,” recalls Daena Michelle Cedillo ’19, a student-organizer who graduated this month with a Bachelor of Science from Babson, plus a Certificate of Engineering in Design Studies from Olin. “The show bridged divides both known and unknown to us all. And because it was not a class project, creativity flowed freely throughout each interaction.”
From Top to Bottom
Designers showed pieces ranging from pants and tops to handbags, shoes, and jewelry. Students also worked together to help execute the show—from constructing a runway that ran all the way through the Foundry building to promoting the event on their individual campuses.
Timmons listed the benefits of holding such a show. “I think students want to share with each other the creative outlets they’re engaging in, and they want to collaborate with each other. We just have to keep providing opportunities for them to do so.”
Stone said the event was such a success that they are already planning for next year’s show.
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