Adela Trinh, 17, had to get the “reddish greyish blueish plaid fabric” at Fabrics R Us that screamed for her attention. She went on to incorporate the fabric into her business clothing line “KETSJACK,” which is “JACKETS” spelled backwards. Trinh introduced her clothing line’s jacket and jumpsuit during Wilcox High School’s 2018 Fashion Show held on May 24 at the Mission City Center for Performing Arts. Cheers came from the audience for the models and designers during the show, set to a “Starry Night” theme. After the show, applause for the show committee members completed this upbeat evening of style.
“This year is the first time that my Fashion 2 and Fashion 3 students present their own collection of clothing,” said Mindy Trisko, the school’s Fashion Design & Marketing Instructor. “Last year, the Fashion 2 students were mixed in with the Fashion 1 students. This year, the Fashion 2 students are talking about the logo they created and are presenting their line of clothing or collection. They’re up on stage talking. I want the Fashion 2 students to get more recognition for their pattern making and the complex sewing that they’ve done.”
Juhi Bhatia, 15, credited her mother’s experience in fashion marketing and design for motivating her to create a fashion line. A red dress that Selena Gomez had worn to a special event also inspired Bhatia. Her line, “Equilibre,” meaning poise in French, included a red satin dress with a long open cowl on the back and a green satin dress with a cowl neckline.
“A lot of red carpet looks have satin and silk and I wanted to create a collection that was simple, formal and elegant based on red carpet looks,” Bhatia said. “The first thing I did was start with a base. Working with a cowl neckline is very complicated because it’s based on the bias line of a fabric. It’s when you have a square of fabric and you fold it. The longest side on the triangle is the bias. That’s how the fabric hangs naturally. I didn’t buy a pattern. I made it by hand on a model form, which is a model bodice. When you have your own collection, you have a lot of responsibility. Every stitch must be perfect.”
Already getting ready for the cooler months was Lindsey Ma, 16, whose line “Apricity,” referring to the sun’s warmth, showcased two fleece coats.
“When my Fashion 2 and 3 classmates were making the line, it was toward fall and it was getting cold,” Ma said. “I had a base pattern of a coat that was already made. From there, I took that pattern and altered it to make my design. The lining is different on both coats. The lining on my pink coat is polyester and the grey one is satin. The outside of both coats is made with blizzard fleece.”
During the show, models also paraded the work of the Fashion 1 students in the form of pajama shorts, pajama pants, formal pants, skirts, tops, shirts, jackets, hoodies, sweaters, cardigans, rompers, aprons and dresses.