Thursday, March 7, 2013 • 35
fashion
OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal
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1. Collins Kitchens is picture-perfect in a fuchsia fashion leotard, $42, and skirt, $20, by Capezio. Both pieces are also available in turquoise and black. Applause Dancewear 871-7837 2. These stylish shoes will put a spring in your step and style this season. Betani Footwear, Dora 2, $24.99, available in chestnut, red and black; and Dora 4, $24.99, available in yellow, white, tan and black; Petunia, by Pierre Dumas, $24.99, in nude, turquoise multi and red multi; and Firenze by Avanti’s, Cleo, $49.99, in coral or black. Flip Flops and What Nots, 967-7429 3. Spring brings with it longer days and tennis! Trey McCombs is wearing a Nike tennis tee, $35, and shorts, $55, Nike Air Max Cage shoes, $115, Nike Elite socks, $14, and a Babolat tennis bag, $140. Elizabeth Standifer is wearing a Nike junior tank, $30, and skirt, $30, Nike hat, $24, Nike Junior’s Courtballistic shoe, $85, tennis charm bracelet, $40, and All for Color tennis backpack, $54. Madison Standifer is wearing a Little Miss Tennis dress, $68, Ball shorts, $16, Wilson Junior shoes, $70, tennis charm necklace, $18, organic cotton headband, $14, and All For Color Tennis backpack, $54. Players Choice Tennis, 985-4989
Rising Designers, from page 33
petition. Bradford hand-painted hummingbirds on his light blue dress, which he constructed out of roof tarp, sheetrock tape and hot glue. “I was inspired to compete in the Rising Design Star contest after attending last year’s Birmingham Fashion Week events,” Bradford said. “I want to be a famous fashion designer, and I knew the contest would give me experience and help me grow as a designer.” Bradford said he drew inspiration from his favorite designer, Alexander McQueen. He said he fashioned his dress in an avant-garde style in just 15 days. Rather than taffeta, silk, muslin and thread, the young designers had to use alternative materials such as paper lunch bags and plastic tablecloths, which were the main materials in Odelia Huang’s design. Odelia, 14, is a second-year competitor from Pizitz Middle School. Having competed previously, Odelia said she knew that most of the young designers would opt for dresses. To make a standout creation, she said she chose to look into men’s fashion instead. “I looked for trends on this year’s runway and made a collage of men’s fashion photos,” Odelia said. “I saw the trend of dress suits and bowties, so I drew my inspiration from that.” Odelia made her suit shirt out of colored plastic tablecloths and the vest and pants out of paper lunch bags. Students like Odelia from Vestavia schools have a larger participation
and interest in the contest thanks to the encouragement of Pizitz Middle School’s art teacher, Larry Gibson. Gibson, who has taught art at Pizitz for nearly 29 years, encouraged several of his students to enter the contest last year. After their success, he created a video showcasing the process to the student body, generating interest among many students at Pizitz. Gibson had entry forms available in his classroom and allowed his art students to use his classroom as workspace for their creations. “This contest is incredible because it brings authentic, real-world skills to the students,” he said. “It is also the optimal creative project as it involves using recycled, unordinary, discarded objects in the dress design.” Gibson has spent many years encouraging his students to explore options in art. After involvement in the contest, several of his students decided to look into Savannah College of Art and Design’s programs. The Rising Design Star contest makes the students feel like they are real superstars, Gibson said. For his success with his students in the Rising Design Star contest, Gibson will receive the Alabama Art Educator of the Year Award from the National Art Education Association in March. One of Gibson’s former students, Sarah Anne Pfitzer, 14, was another second-year competitor who entered the contest. She said it took two weeks to construct her design. The Vestavia Hills High School student said the book “Kisses from Katie” inspired her design. The book tells Katie’s story of giving up college dreams and relocating herself from
Nashville, Tenn., to Uganda to share Christ with the Ugandan children through her ministry, Amazima. The ministry helps feed children and send them to school. Sarah Anne made her dress out of paper, burlap and pottery. She said the neutral color of the burlap represents the earthen colors of Uganda and that the broken pottery represents the wastefulness of America. The experience from her first competition allowed her to put more thought and detail into her design for 2013, Sarah Anne said. Olivia Kampwerth, 17, of Vestavia said she wanted to make an elegant and sophisticated design. Ironically, she chose trash bags, duct tape and bent Slinkys to accomplish her goal. She made roses to collar the top out of feathered trash bags and used duct tape to hold her design together. It took Olivia about a month to construct her piece. Savannah Smith, 18, created her unique dress out of aluminum screen, washers, trash bags, wire and door hinges. Students who competed drew inspiration from something in their backgrounds--a love of a certain fashion designer, artist, era or article of clothing. Emily Butler, 17, of Vestavia Hills High made a Victorian era-inspired dress out of used coffee filters and gauze. Cayla Sexton, 12, Pizitz Middle, made a dress out of melted crayons. Cecily Anderson, 13, Pizitz Middle, used an umbrella, plastic and a Christmas tree stand to fashion her piece. Laney Moers, 12, Pizitz Middle, inspired by a pair of her ducky pajama pants, created a dress out of bubble wrap, trash bags and rubber
To:
ducks. Jooyoung Yang, 17, Briarwood Christian School, used her background in origami to create a dress
Eve
out of newspaper. Suzanne Noble, 13, Pizitz, created her dress out of playing cards and garbage bags. ❖
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