The O’More College of Architecture and Design at Belmont University hosted its annual Fashion Show on Wednesday, April 26 in the Curb Event Center. The event was O’More’s first on-campus Fashion Show since 2019 and served as an opportunity to showcase the work of fashion design students.
In line with the “Show with a Purpose” theme, the evening featured a partnership with Tennessee Donor Services that provided an opportunity for purposeful design and raising awareness for the lifesaving and changing impacts of organ, eye and tissue donation. Seven junior design students were paired with participants who have been directly impacted by organ donation—including those who received donations themselves and those who lost loved ones who chose to become donors. The students who worked with these participants worked with their models to hear their stories of the gift of life, and design custom pieces that celebrated their story.
“It’s part of what we want to do... To really have social impact, to learn from other people in the community, to recognize there are so many voices to celebrate in all kinds of visual arts and design—especially in fashion.”
At every level of their education, O’More fashion students are met with ample opportunities to hone their skills in a hands-on setting. In preparation for this year’s show, sophomore students were invited to tour the headquarters of SVP Worldwide, the world’s largest sewing machine company. After training on their PFAFF® creative icon™ 2 sewing and embroidery machine and mySewnet™ Embroidery Software, the students designed capsules for Spring/Summer 2024 using equipment provided by the company.
Fashion merchandising students got to assist in the marketing for the show, getting a behind-the-scenes look into what goes into an event of this magnitude. They worked to gain traction and build their social media audience months in advance and were given creative freedom to develop and execute the content they orchestrated. “Seeing the collections come together, from a plan on a piece of paper to watching it on the runway with the lighting and setup… it means so much to be involved in a student-run show like this with our peers, it’s a big deal for everyone,” said Chloe Jones, a junior in fashion merchandising.
For the seniors, this show culminates four years of rigorous education and an immense amount of heart put into each one of their designs. Their themes spanned a wide variety, crossing subjects like biblical symbolism and self-perception.
Reflecting on her time in the program, Tennessee native and senior fashion design student Chloe Ledes said she feels confident in her ability to get a running start on the industry post-graduation. “I’ve been trained on so many different skills and feel like I have more than a baseline familiarity on all these different aspects of fashion. I’ve really been able to get a sense of what I'm going to face and how to perform in a professional setting.” Between fashion forecasting and entrepreneurship classes, O’More students are exposed to a range of positions they may encounter in their career.
Chloe Ledes senior collection titled “May Need Mending”
Chloe’s collection, titled “May Need Mending” sheds light on the vulnerability, pain and gradual healing of undiagnosed mental illnesses. “I had a narrative in mind when I designed them, with the colors, textures and details in the garments, so I'm excited to see how they look in periodic order.”
Storytelling was the motif of the night, exemplified by a new partnership with Tennessee Donor Services with the purpose of raising awareness for the life-changing power of organ and tissue donation. The need is dire—According to the United Network of Organ Sharing, there are over 114,101 people on the waiting list nationally and 3,147 within the state of Tennessee. One organ donor can save eight lives, and a new name is added to the waiting list every nine minutes.
Seven junior design students were paired with participants who have been directly impacted—including those who received donations themselves and those who lost loved ones who chose to become donors. After spending time hearing their personal experiences and reflections on The Gift of Life, the students designed custom pieces that celebrated their story and would be modeled by the participants themselves.
When deciding her design direction, junior fashion design major Macey Graham asked model Brittany Cameron questions to get to know her son Nathaniel, whom she lost last year. They talked about how Brittany's style preferences, along with Nathaniel's interests—the outdoors, Japanese culture, snakes and cars, among many things. "I didn’t want it to be about how he passed, but about his life before, and that he gave life,” Brittany said. “I think it represents him, and that's why I'm doing it — it's for my kid.”
Designer: Macey Graham | Model: Brittany Cameron
Shelly Cleek, a cornea transplant recipient who has dedicated her life to promoting the importance of organ donation, was paired with Jaedyn Black, another junior fashion student. A match made in heaven, the two clicked instantly which made the experience that much more meaningful. “Working with Shelly has been so special to me,” said Jaedyn. “The connection is just amazing, and it’s been so great to help bring her story to life through fashion.”
The fashion show came up almost exactly around the one-year anniversary of Shelly’s surgery, and the process has been emotional but worthwhile. “I was honored to be given the opportunity,” she said. “It's nerve-wracking at the same time, but I'm just trusting the process. I want to be used as a vessel to help open hearts and minds.”
After her transplant surgery, Shelly planted a jasmine bush in her donor’s honor. “I was very torn between the excitement and the opportunity that I was being blessed with from this individual, but also mourning for the family that I knew was going through such a horrific time.”
Designer: Jaedyn Black | Model: Shelly Cleek
Jaedyn incorporated this into her design, selecting light purple flowers to represent the lavender and puffy sleeves to signify the outlines of bushes and trees Shelly could see at the start of her recovery. “I never could have imagined something like this,” Shelly said, recalling her reaction after seeing the dress for the first time. ”It’s everything I wanted and more.”
Click here to view additional images from the 2023 O’More Fashion Show.