Virtual Fashion Technology

Note: The guest review for this show is presented by Samantha Seccombe. Samantha is a Fashion Technology Apparel Design major who also happens to be a GCC Fashion Alumni. She designed and created garments for one of the scenes [pictured below]. The image above is Dr. Emine Ercan, Apparel Design Professor from Buffalo State College, Samantha Seccombe and Professor Rick Dudkowski, Director of the Fashion Merchandising at Genesee Community College [GCC].

 ___________________________________________________________________________________________

So-Ooh Fabulous
By: Samantha Seccombe

 Last Saturday night [4/26/08] marked the 27th annual fashion show at Genesee Community College in Batavia, New York.  The show was entitled “So-Ooh” (some wordplay on the classic New York City destination, Soho).  The director of the fashion program, Mr. Richard Dudkowski, taught his second year fashion students how to put together an entire fashion show.  The students mixed their own music, found sponsors to donate or loan out clothes (or enlisted fashion designers such as myself), hand picked their own models, and coordinated their scenes.

 I had designed the clothing for the first scene [pictured to the right] entitled “Oh So Tempting”, coordinated by student, Samantha Gould.  Through attending her Wednesday night fashion show practices, I saw how Samantha taught her models to walk down the runway and set their pace to our music mix.  Backstage at the show, I saw firsthand how much work and planning goes into one day of entertainment.  There were practice shows to make sure that everyone was prepared, hair and makeup being applied every which way, and getting models dressed.  Models who were in multiple scenes rushed to change outfits.

There were two performances of the fashion show; one at three pm and another at seven pm.  There were ten or so scenes in the show, each coordinated by different students.  Several scenes were truly spectacular, with excellent music and gorgeous clothing.  All of the scenes were good, but some stood out as more creative and imaginative than others.  Some of the clothing was what you see people wearing in everyday life and some scenes had clothing with a couture feel.  All in all, I think that the show lived up to everyone’s expectations and that it was clear that some of the students have mass potential and will graduate to become true fashion mavericks.

 ___________________________________________________________________________________________

 Notes from Finn1 FLintlock:  
Mr. Richard Dudkowski is the director of the Fashion Program at GCC. He has done an absolutely outstanding job with production of this show. It’s hard to believe these are second year students producing this show!

They did not miss a thing - multiple areas of the college participated in making this show an exceptional event!  Students were really into making this an event to remember - and they succeeded!

One of the many unique features in this years show at Genesee Community College was the So Ooh Gallery Girl Wearable art inspired dresses scene. Courtney Paige, from Albany, NY, designed all her own dresses. Five different, canvas-painted dresses were modeled that were truly works of creative art. I noted that it was unique because the program at GCC is for Fashion Merchandising not fashion design but this collection of handpainted dresses by Ms. Paige was exceptional!

A quote from Professor Dudkowski:

“It has been a pleasure for me to teach such talented students in the Fashion program at Genesee for the past 24 years.  My goal is to help direct and coach my advisees so they are prepared for the ever-changing and demanding careers in the fashion industry. By requiring students to produce a fashion show gives them the hands-on experience that enhances what they are studying in the classroom.  Other people have noticed how important this production has become since  I have recently been selected as a recipient of the New York State Chancellor’s award for Excellence in Scholarship & Creative Activities.  This award was given because of the consistent creative production of this annual fashion show.  With a total attendance of 1,155 people this year, it has grown to become Western New York’s largest fashion show! ”  mrdudkowski@genesee.edu

• Click HERE to Nate Oaksford Photo Gallery of the show.
• Click HERE to Buffalo.com/spotted to see gallery photos.
• Click HERE to images from the Manhattan Socialite scene.
• Click HERE to read an article about the show.