Creatives of FADS embrace curiosity, nostalgia for ‘Child’s Play’ show
A model walks down the Fashion and Design Society runway wearing Daniel Wick’s design. Wick created a bright yellow raincoat with a marker drawing of a sun to symbolize his childhood in Vermont. Zabdyl Koffa | Staff Photographer
Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox.
Subscribe to our newsletter here.
When Amaya Evans was choosing a theme for the Fashion and Design Society’s April showcase, she wanted to remind people that they don’t have to neglect their childlike curiosity and ambition to reach maturity.
Especially in the fashion industry, which often sees rejection and suppression of creativity.
“You are allowed to make mistakes, have fun, play and enjoy the small things in life as we did when we were children,” Evans, FADS’ co-creative director and Syracuse University senior, said.
Evans and her team settled on the theme “Child’s Play” for the FADS end-of-year showcase on Sunday evening. When walking on the Shaw Quadrangle, the show’s youthful theme became apparent with bubbles, music and a lemonade stand that sold drinks for 50 cents. It highlighted the nostalgic feeling of being a kid and honoring the part of oneself that often becomes suppressed during adulthood, Evans said.
Planning for the show began at the beginning of the semester. However, since it’s on the quad, the location had to be booked in the fall, according to Grace Kentrotas, SU senior and vice president of FADS.
A model flaunts her skirt, which features a popsicle wrapper pattern. The design is part of FADS’ theme “Child’s Play.” Zabdyl Koffa | Staff Photographer
Jada Williams, a fellow SU senior and FADS’ president, said this show was different from others due to how smoothly the planning went in terms of overcoming conflicts and challenges. The process begins with the creative directors brainstorming themes for the semester before discussing them with the executive board and getting feedback.
After the theme was finalized, Ivy Olynick, SU freshman and FADS’ head of fashion, met with each designer to hear about their styling ideas.
“Hearing a bit of everyone’s childhood and how that played a role in their look today just made me feel a lot more connected to FADS as a whole,” Olynick said.
Inspired by the outfits she would wear as a child, Olynick’s designs for the show consisted of vibrant colors and bedazzled sneakers. As a kid, Olynick’s favorite dress had butterfly wings. The dress she created for the show captured its essence with flowy fabric along the arms, reminiscent of wings.
Other designers in the show, like sophomore Lucy Stemmler, used a more tactile design, bringing the Twinkle Toes sneaker from the 2000s to life with shoelaces up the front and back of a vibrant corset. Unicorns and peace signs covered the dress from top to bottom, achieving the Y2K aesthetic.
“It’s super nostalgic for me, and I wanted to create something that my younger (self) would be thrilled to put on,” Stemmler said.
Other designers, like SU sophomore Daniel Wick, gave audiences a personal sense of his childhood through his piece. It specifically connected to his home state of Vermont. A marker drawing of a sun covered the back of the bright yellow raincoat, creating a whimsical feeling. Wick said he channeled his inner child during the process — his design is something his younger self would create.
Pink dresses and pearls filled the runway when SU sophomore Madelyn Singer’s pieces came on, showing audiences her dream Barbie wardrobe. Singer said she endlessly watched all of the Barbie movies when she was younger and wanted to portray that obsession in her designs.
Two models wearing pink dresses pose in the middle of their walk in FADS’ “Child’s Play” show. Madelyn Singer designed her ensembles based on her love of the Barbie movies. Zabdyl Koffa | Staff Photographer
Singer had seven looks in the show because she was so excited about the theme that she couldn’t pick just one of her ideas.
“This theme is an ode to my younger self. I know she would be so proud of me, and I just feel like I’m trying to embody her through fashion,” Singer said.
A tube of bubbles was placed on each audience member’s seat at the show. They were told to blow their bubbles during the final walkthrough, honing in on the inner child theme.
While Olynick has been involved in fashion shows before, this was the first time she helped plan one. She said she learned about all of the details that go into putting on a show. Because everything is student-run, the environment is collaborative and social, she added.
Sunday’s “Child’s Play” fashion show also paid homage to some of the FADS members’ younger selves at SU, reinforcing the show’s ultimate goal: to honor the creativity of childhood.
“It’s very nostalgic to see the growth that not only I as a creative director have flourished in this organization, but seeing each of the team members grow as well,” Evans said.
