The Cent$ and Sensibility fashion show Friday night proved that, contrary to popular belief, it’s possible to look chic for less than $50 and be environmentally conscious while doing so.

The show, now in its fourth year, began as stunning garments were paraded down the stairs of Newhouse I’s lobby. With help from the Fashion Communications Milestone Program and the Rescue Mission: Thrifty Shopper, the show was put on by the fashion program at Syracuse University. The lobby was filled with people hanging over the upper floor to catch a glimpse of the designs.

‘It’s always jam-packed every year,’ said Carla Lloyd, the co-director of the Fashion Communications Milestone Program and an associate professor of advertising.
 
The show has been in the works since September, Lloyd said. Lloyd explained the show always has a topical theme surrounding societal issues, and this year it was all about recession and sustainability.

‘The show has always kind of spoken for itself,’ said Hilary Smith, a senior advertising design major in the program. Smith has been working with Lloyd and Karen Bakke, the other co-director of the Fashion Communications Milestone Program and an associate professor of design, during the last few months.

Backstage before the show, models and stylists flitted around to make last-minute preparations. As the models peeled out of their clothes to make garment adjustments, a fog of hairspray clouded the room. Student models waited anxiously in a long line to have their makeup applied.
        
Jaisa Dominguez, an undeclared freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences, is no stranger to modeling. She has taken modeling classes and modeled at the Fashion Institute of Technology.
    
‘I’m excited about walking down the steps. No one sees you walking down them, and it’s really hard but so exhilarating,’ Dominguez said.
    
‘Let’s face it: There’s a lot of waste,’ Lloyd said as she introduced the show.

She explained that people wear things once or twice and then throw them away. Those clothes end up in our landfills, with the amount of clothing in the trash increasing by five times in the last few years.
    
The freshman collection started with a sculptural, off-white bodice that looked like something out of a Viktor & Rolf runway show. Following the more avant-garde pieces were sensible, ready-to-wear looks such as a knee-scraping blue sheath. As the models came down the steps with Vaseline-covered, glistening limbs, the crowd was wowed by the variety of looks.
    
Kicking off the show, the first look was a belly top and little more than ruffled underwear. High-waisted overalls, a ruffled jean vest and high-heeled boots followed. During the show, projected images of the students at work in the studio were shown on a wall. At times, it was hard to tell if the designs on the runway were made by students or belonged at a high-fashion show at Bryant Park, especially when an Ann Demeulemeester-esque black cocktail dress came down the stairs.
    
Next came the Cent$ and Sensibility portion of the show. These recession-ready ensembles proved that it’s easy to pull together amazing looks from thrift store finds, if you’ve got the will to hunt.
    
The male resembled a hip Steve Urkel. The men donned cuffed jeans, newsboy caps, 1980s glasses and bowties. The looks were retro and the styling incorporated ideas of recycling into the models’ hair as their bouffant hairstyles housed beer cans. On the projection screen just above the models was a list with the outfit costs. Nothing was more than $4.99.
        
The sophomore designers’ looks gained inspiration from the fusion of a favorite artist and a famous woman from history. Girls pranced down in silk bodices, ruffles and high-waisted harem pants. Tulle skirts accompanied ankle boots and a baby pink one-shouldered dress with sky-high platforms sashayed down the runway. There was also a punk-rock edge on one student’s mini dress that branded zippers and leather detailing.

The junior fashion design students gained inspiration from designer Geoffrey Beene, whose work is known for its use of color, geometry and movement. The inspiration was not hard to see as the models came down in long, sweeping patterned dresses.
    
True to high-fashion form, the show ended with bridal couture. Not every girl dreams of having her wedding dress garnished with aluminum foil, paper, bottles and bottle caps, but somehow it worked.
    
After the show, Bakke was enthusiastic about the event.

 ‘It was fabulous,’ she said.
    
The hard work of the fashion students and associated faculty during the past few months paid off. The audience walked away enlightened, not only to discover that fashion doesn’t have to be expensive or detrimental to our environment, but that retro is still in.

rssaxon@syr.edu

 

Published on April 11, 2010 at 12:00 pm