By Grace Lawson and Ni Baliness
Student models, bearing outfits in the shapes of vintage lamps, peacock evening wear and a top made entirely out of ties strutted across the stage of the Carpenter Performing Arts Center on April 27.
Meanwhile, an audience filled with supporting family and friends cheered them on, sporting their own stylish attire as if in competition with the models themselves.
A culmination of nine months of work, the Campus Couture Fashion Show is the club’s largest event of the year.
Considered the largest student-run fashion show in Southern California, this year audiences saw the works of nine student designers, each debuting around six to 10 pieces, and each with student models.
Models strutted across the Carpenter Center’s stage on April 27, showcasing the designs of student designers Tiffany Nguyen and Robbie Matawaran’s collection, “Rewoven.” Photo credit: Brandon Dorsey.
For Himika Kaku, a third-year theater arts major who just transferred to Long Beach State this academic year, being able to model in the show was a way for her to immerse herself in to something new.
“I was kind of nervous but I had fun,” Kaku said. “That’s the most important thing, I think, and it was a really good opportunity.”
Kaku participated in the designer category, “Blooming Through Chaos.”
The collection, which debuted an evolution of different designs, started with the first model wearing all black and slowly evolved into the last featured model wearing a pale shade of pink.
Another one of the night’s themes focused on the question, “What if you saw peacocks on a stage?”
A Campus Couture model walks down the stage, bearing a piece from student designer Jennifer Lidikay’s collection, “Pavo Mystica” on April 27. Photo credit: Brandon Dorsey.
Highlighting the designer’s vision of history, peacocks and feathers, third- year economics major Daisy Agebsar walked on stage in a time period piece by her designer, Jennifer Lidikay.
“It was super cool,” Agebsar said. “It was really fun and I loved the experience from beginning to end.”
The piece Agebsar wore featured a blue gown embellished with a peacock and a fascinator as a headpiece to tie in the look of history with a peacock’s elegance.
Another student model, first-year mechanical engineering major Kiyond Heard, strutted the stage in a theme that mixed winter with streetwear.
As a model, Heard said being able to click well with the other students made his experience memorable and enjoyable, along with his team’s win for the “Best Theme” award.
“When I walked out and people started cheering, it just felt like I was doing something right,” Heard said. “My outfit looks good, I’m doing my walk good and I feel confident.”
A full audience in the Carpenter Center watches the works of student designers and models at the Campus Couture Fashion Show on April 27. Photo credit: Brandon Dorsey.
After intermission, awards were given out in six different categories.
The design duo, Tiffany Nguyen and Robbie Matawaran, took home five of the awards for their collection, “Rewoven.”
Incorporating Vietnamese and Filipino culture in their streetwear design, the duo won in categories including “Excellence in Technical Design” and the “People’s Choice Award.”
As the event came to a close, an audience of friends and family cheered, and models, designers and event directors joined their their loved ones in the lobby.
Robbie Matawaran and Tiffany Nguyen celebrate their awards for their collection, “Rewoven” on April 27. In his hand, Matawaran clutches an award for “Excellence In Technical Design,” which was one of five awards the two received for their work. Photo credit: Brandon Dorsey.
Reminiscing on the event, Agebsar described feeling rewarded after watching winning designers Matawaran and Nguyen celebrate backstage.
“I think seeing everyone and their whole group celebrating backstage wasn’t a “who was the best” type of thing,” Agebsar said. “It was just seeing us all united and happy for one another.”
To follow along and attend future Campus Couture events, follow their Instagram @campuscouturecsulb.
