Music played, cameras flashed and video rolled at Clarkston High School last week as seven young women basked in limelight brought on by recognition of talent not usually showcased in the high school arena ? sewing.
Project Runway’based on the popular Bravo show by the same name’gave the girls an opportunity to model garments they designed and created especially for the show.
‘The event went really well,? said Linda Jambro, Clarkston Community Schools communications and marketing coordinator, who served as the program’s hostess. ‘I enjoyed seeing these girls focused on their abilities, and it was nice to see a different kind of crowd’the artistic and creative kids’recognized and showcased for their talents.?
Project Runway began as an idea for decorating a media center window in the usual ‘theme of the month.?
‘I had all the other months planned out, and I was trying to come up with an idea for February? said CHS Media paraeducator Paul Jacques, who produced the event. ‘Then someone said ‘February is fashion month.??
Jacques immediately began asking questions of junior Kristin Mallison, who happened to be in the library at the time.
Mallison, he found, hand-makes many of the garments in her unique wardrobe, and was building a portfolio in hopes of attending a prestigious Chicago design school.
So Jacques continued with the questions.
Do any other students sew? Do you think they’d be interested in submitting their designs? sewing something we could display?
Mallison’s enthusiasm for the idea provided the inspiration he needed, and Jacques took off running with plans.
But there was a problem’it quickly became obvious the garments were not going to fit in the display case.
And so it was decided.
‘My wife and I are both big fans of Project Runway,? he said. ‘So I thought, ‘why can’t we do something like that???
News spread across the campus like wildfire, he said, and by the time all the entries were in, 37 girls had applied.
‘I was hoping for one male,? laughed Jacques. ‘Even if his mom helped him knit something, I was hoping for even one male.?
No such luck. After the field was narrowed to seven finalists, the girls began work on their garments, each of which was to be inspired from a book in the media center library. The garment had meet the CHS dress code, and the student had to create at least 80 percent of her entry.
‘The whole design just randomly popped into my head, so I drew it on graph paper in math class,? said Jezi Magnuson, who based her gown on the book ‘Peace Like a River? by Jeff Enger.
The seven contestants modeled their garments on the ‘runway? before a panel of judges’CHS Principal Janice Meagher, Superintendent Al Roberts, School Board President Steve Hyer, award-winning fashion designer Kate Bennett, Julie Ann Patterson, fashion chair at the International Academy of Design and Technology, and Rebecca Weber, stylist for Douglas J. Cosmetology-Lifetime Fitness.
Derry Mahy, general manager for JoAnn Fabrics, who sponsored the event, was slated to sit on the panel, as well, but had to cancel due to an injury the previous day.
Before the competition, the girls had ideas about who would ultimately win, but speculated it would depend on different factors.
‘It depends on what the judges like,? said Kristin Mallison, noting that some of the girls chose more conservative styles, while others went with trendier pieces.
A $100 JoAnn gift card was awarded to the winner, a $50 card to the second place contestant and a $25 card to each of the five runners up.
‘These are really talented kids,? said Bennett, of Kate Bennett Designs. ‘I’ve been sewing for a long time, but nothing I made in high school was as good as these. If they stick with it, they can really go a long way in the fashion world.?
When the moment of truth arrived, senior Sarah Chasins was chosen as the Project Runway winner.
Chasins, however, was attending a Global Trade Mission at Oakland Community College with about 20 other CHS students, College with about 20 other CHS students, so her sister Katie stood in to model the gown.
‘I was really surprised at how elegant it was,? Bennett said of the winning design. ‘The layering, the color, the fabric is all very sophisticated for a high school girl. It’s a lot of work, she really had to have an eye for design.?
Chasins? mom and sister, however, couldn’t help but giggle a bit.
‘She doesn’t actually have much fashion sense,? laughed mom after the winners were announced. ‘But she’s very artistic, and she had definite ideas about what she wanted the dress to look like.?
Katie didn’t waste any time getting back into her jeans and t-shirt after the program, but she beamed with happiness over her big sister’s accomplishment.
‘It was slightly nerve racking,? said Katie. ‘I didn’t feel like I belonged out there, but I’m very proud of Sarah.?
The second place runner up winner was deadlocked in a tie between junior Kristin Malison and senior Becca Shay.
‘Last night I was thinking ‘ok, what can go wrong,?? said Jacques. ‘A snowstorm, my car breaks down, then I thought, oh no, what would we do in the event of a tie???
Sure enough.
But Principal Janice Meagher acted quickly, and threw in money for the extra prize so both girls could get the recognition they deserved.
All the garments will be on display at the Great Lakes Crossing location of JoAnn Fabrics during March. Jacques plans to make Project Runway an annual event, and is hoping for more support and sponsorship to make next year bigger and better.
‘For now, I’m glad it’s over,? he said, appearing less rattled and more relaxed as the crowd finally thinned. ‘But it was great’for me it was a rekindling of my youth.?