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40th annual GCC Fashion Show is called 'Novaturient' -- a desire for change that prompts travel

By Press Release

Press release:

The Fashion Program students at Genesee Community College announced the 40th Annual Fashion Show will go live, ONLINE, for FREE on Saturday, May 1 at 6 p.m. and this year's show is just in time for the "Novaturient" desires stirring in us all!

The term novaturient describes a desire for change that leads one to travel -- to seek a change in environment.

The entire Fashion Show, which features designs by a dozen GCC students, has been articulately composed around everything from the emotions to the comforts and practicalities of that traveling individual. With sophisticated color pallets and completely unique styles, this show has a look for everyone!

2021 Fashion Show Scene Coordinators include:

  • Xi Lin: Styled looks for "Staycation"
  • Cadeeja Tanksley: Styled looks to take you to the tropics
  • Ariana Medick, Julia Ashworth, and Damani Joseph: Designed, created, and styled women's looks and styled men's looks for "Honeymoon"
  • Alexis Remington: Styled looks for "Rendezvous"
  • Sayaka Hisayama, Miyabi kondo, and Ayami Kusumi (Freshman): Combination of designed, created, and upcycled looks for "Higaeri Ryokou (Day Trip)"
  • Deanna Anderson, and Gianina Defrank: (freshmen scene coordinators) Upcycled and styled looks from personal collections for "Sehnsucht"
  • Rebecca Siglin: Designed and created looks for "Carnival"
  • Sam Dombrowski: Styled and Upcycled looks for "Road Trip"
  • Ziare Evans: Styled looks for "Spring Break"
  • Lauren Diegert: Styled and Upcycled looks for "Business and Pleasure"
  • Damani Joseph: Styled looks for "Elopement"

Designing the entire show to debut online is a first for GCC's Fashion Program students.

Historically, the show has taken place on campus and has been filled to capacity.

Then, in 2018, the show moved into the Richard C. Call Arena and was able to expand the audience to 2,000 seats. Expecting a full house again in 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic caused the in-person show to be canceled, the Fashion Program quickly teamed up with other departments within the College to change directions and the online show was created.

With just about 60 days to create the website from scratch, the students focused on adapting their designs to fit their new models -- the ones they shared a living space with -- while the College focused on preparing the online platform to display their talents. With more than 4,359 views generated from over 41 countries, the 2020 show was a success.

"Knowing the 2021 Fashion Show would be online allowed us to plan it as such from the beginning," said Fashion Program instructor Laura Taylor. "Students needed to have their designs created, submitted and approved much earlier in the semester so our filming could take place with all of the appropriate COVID-19 Safety precautions in place.

"Scouting, selecting and securing locations for filming was a time-consuming addition to our production schedule but it has given our students priceless industry experience."

With a relatable and powerful theme to guide their selections, the students coordinated their scenes, secured models, and collaborated with GCC photographers and videographers to ensure their visions would be creatively realized.

Until the show goes live, the Fashion Business students will be promoting, seeking sponsorships and creating website content for the fast-paced, professionally produced show.

To see the exciting and intricate stages of the "Novaturient" development, follow @gccfashionprogram on Instagram, @trendygcc on Twitter and the FBM (Fashion Business Merchandising) program blog at https://sunygcc.blog/category/academics/fashion/. Students will be sharing details about the show, their individual scenes and more!

The Fashion Program at GCC has always been a flagship for the college. The knowledge and experience of the faculty and their dedication to their students has produced quality and professional workplace candidates and well-prepared transfer students since the program's inception more than 35 years ago.

As defined in the College's strategic priorities, GCC is ever-focused on student success and has renewed its articulation agreement with LIM for students in the Fashion Business: Merchandising A.A.S. program. Students who complete the track and degree can seamlessly transfer to LIM to complete their B.B.A. in Fashion Merchandising, Visual Merchandising, Marketing or Management.

In addition, GCC is very excited to announce a new articulation agreement with Cazenovia College. This agreement provides a seamless transfer opportunity for GCC's Fashion Business: Merchandising A.A.S. students to Cazenovia's Fashion Merchandising B.P.S. and for GCC's Fashion Business: Fashion Design A.A.S. students to Cazenovia's Fashion Design B.F.A. degree program. Anyone interested in taking advantage of these transfer opportunities through GCC is encouraged to contact GCC's Student Success Center at (585) 345-6805 or via email at SSC@genesee.edu.

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