From thift store to runway
CMU student Laurea Marshall (left), a
fashion merchandising and design major, and
professor, Wendy Honey talk with Miranda Zorn,
16, of Dearborn, about her garment.
High school students turned thrift-store finds into runway fashions during the weeklong Fashion Camp 2008 in June at CMU.
The 15 campers worked with CMU’s apparel merchandising and design faculty members and students to learn trend forecasting, fashion illustration, sewing and textiles, and the use of computer aided design.
They began the week with a trip to a thrift store to purchase three garments each. Back on campus, they poured creativity, patience, and a lot of hard work into refashioning the used clothes into garments to model on the runway for family and friends.
Wendy Honey, who teaches clothing construction at CMU, says the camp exposed potential students to CMU’s apparel merchandising and design program and filled a creative void for students who don’t have home economics in their high schools.
“There are tons of kids out there who are interested in fashion, but schools don’t offer sewing anymore,” Honey says. “They have no outlet for it, but they want to try it.” •
