Nature of Fashion Show 2022

  • Woman gets make-up done and a pedicure
  • Woman has her make-up done
  • Man gets his make-up done before show
  • Model dressed as caterpillar
  • Model wears pink outfit inspired by Cherry Blossoms
  • Woman wears white dress with lillies on it
  • Man models shirt with sunflowers on it
  • Woman models green dress with white flowers
  • Woman models pink dress
  • Crowd watches model in red dress
  • Model wears outfit inspired by beta fish
  • Woman models white dress
  • Woman models green, ocean inspired dress with a sting ray on it
  • Male models hoodie inspired by an Orca
  • Woman wears black dress with feathers at shoulders and hem
  • Male model wears outfit inspired by blue jays
  • Woman models red dress
  • Model wears dress inspired by a Crowned Pigeon
  • Male model wears shirt with clouds on it
  • Woman models dress inspired by a Toucan
  • Man models tiger inspired shirt
  • Woman wears dress inspired by clouds
  • Woman wears dress with dragonfly motif
  • Model shows off outfit inspired by bats
  • Woman models dress inspired by sand
  • Woman wears large butterfly wings
  • Group of models pose
  • Teachers poses with model

Fashion show returns with brilliant “Nature of Fashion” theme

It was worth the wait. The Fashion Design and Merchandising Fashion Show had been paused due to COVID-19, but this year it returned with an outstanding array of fashion for men and women, all with an environmental theme.

A runway for the models was created in a parking lot at the Center for Career Services campus. Students, friends and family were welcomed as guests, along with peers from other CTE programs.

“You’re going to see some amazing stuff,” Assistant Principal Phil Donohue informed the crowd at the start of the show. And he was right.

Music played as each model entered the area, paused to give everyone could get a good look, then traversed down the make-shift runway to applause.

The show, called “Nature of Fashion,” featured an array of ensembles divided into different categories representing different natural elements: Flowers, Ocean, Sky and Birds and Animals and Insects.

“We discussed a variety of themes early in the year. I like to get feedback. When we got to nature it clicked and immediately everyone agreed on it,” teacher Carmen Galiano said. “There’s enough inspiration they can all do something different.”

“It’s funny, as differently as it could have gone, they all went in similar directions. I let them go to any part of nature they wanted,” she continued about her students, adding that several expressed interest in flowers, birds, and clouds.

All the attire that was shown was designed and created by students in the class.

“I decided on the azalea because when I saw the fabric, I thought it would complement her skin tone. I believe the pinkish/purplish/lavender really compliments how she looks,” said Geovanni Escobedo, who designed the dress worn by model Donna Richardson.

“This was my first dress ever,” Geovanni, a senior at New Rochelle High School, said of his floor-length, strappy shirred dress. “The teachers helped me. It really came out gorgeous, and I am really thankful for that.”

Port Chester High School student Stephanie Saldivar she initially considered a butterfly theme for her dress. But when she found fabric with a dragonfly motif, she changed her mind.

“I thought it was cool, and I started liking dragonflies when I learned the meaning behind them,” she said. “The open back is like an asymmetrical design and kind of represents their wings.”

For all the outlandish outfits shown on the runways of the most famous fashion designers, Stephanie kept her ensemble practical. She designed and created it with the idea of wearing it to her prom.

“I wanted to do something that was form-fitting and formal enough for prom,” she said.

For Maria Reda, a junior at Eastchester High School, her first thought was she would do something pink.

“I love the color pink. It’s my whole personality,” she said. In addition, her grandmother’s favorite tree is the cherry blossom, and there she had her answer.Maria designed a pink shirt adorned with faux cherry blossoms around the wrists, and she wore it with a patterned skirt. She wore faux cherry blossoms in her hair too.

“This was an amazing opportunity, I think,” Maria said of the fashion show. “I had so much fun doing this.”

Like many of her classmates Jathiya Abiff, a senior at New Rochelle High School, had thought she would do something with a beach theme, but she changed her mind too.

“I really like sand, but I decided to focus on one particular part, the desert,” she said. “I wanted to do something different from everyone in my class, something outside the box.”

Her outfit consisted of a dark tan, floor-length ruffled dress with a large collar that accented her tall frame.Not only did the entire campus attend the show, but several programs assisted in its production.

Cosmetology students spent a good part of their day doing the hair and make-up for the models before the show. The Film Production class filmed the entire show, while Sound Production students provided support with music and audio. Office Skills students printed the show’s programs, and Commercial Art students designed the nature-themed props that accompanied the show.

School Counselor Eileen Yip, a former model herself, shared tips with the student models, and the cafeteria staff provided lunch for the models as they prepared for the show.

“There was a lot of joy today,” Ms. Galiano said when the show had ended.