Public gets chance to size up students' work

Fashion design pupils gain exposure during runway event at Strip venue

Fashion design student Lilia Bard watched with anticipation as models strutted down the runway wearing clothes she designed for her Collections 3 class at the International Academy of Design and Technology Las Vegas.

She wasn't so much worried about her designs, but that the model who wore a garment she had created would remember to pull up one part high enough.

"You're more nervous that your clothing won't come out how you want it to look and everyone will think, 'What was she thinking?' " Bard said.

Bard and about nine other classmates at IADT, located in Green Valley, had the chance to show off their designs to the public in a show on Oct. 14 at the Fashion Show mall.

Models working with the Fashion Show made the walk down the runway wearing pieces from collections created by the upper division course at the school. The class usually showcases its designs at the Fashion Show every six months.

Each student was instructed to design a collection based on a common theme. Each of the pieces in the collection had to be able to be mixed and matched with the others.

Instructor Carolyn Thomas said the students typically sketch out 15 ideas for garments, and the class then narrows that down to which designs should appear in the show. Thomas said she becomes personally involved with each of the designs.

"My goal is to help them (the students) accomplish their goals," she said.

Thomas said in general, each of the students does his or her own work, although they occasionally work in groups. Each of the students designs, chooses the fabric and sews each piece of clothing. "They have to be able to sew and draw," Thomas said.

Thomas said the key to both is simply practice, although raw talent comes into play, as well.

"It's a combination. Anyone can learn to draw," she said. "But it's like playing the piano. Anyone can play piano, but they have to have soul."

Bard is in her last quarter of school. She said she will graduate March, fulfilling a dream she has had since she was 13 years old. Bard is accomplishing her dream after getting her child through high school.

"I'm finally pursuing mom's dream," she said.

Bard drew her inspiration from the movie "Queen Elizabeth." Her designs featured some elements reflecting the period, such as lace corsets and puffed sleeves.

"I was a little more costumey than usual," Bard said.

Bard said the students were asked to step out of the box a bit. For Bard, that meant making more separates.

Bard's classmate Dean Bifulco, who has been attending IADT for 11/2 years, stepped out of the box by designing women's clothing. Typically, Bard has designed men's clothes, basing what he did on the types of clothes he would like to wear. He took a different approach when designing women's clothes.

"I thought about what I would want my girlfriend to be wearing," Bifulco said.

Bifulco said he drew his inspiration for the collection from the art gallery he works at, which features illustrations of older fashions. His main inspiration was Erté, a Russian-born fashion design painter who died in 1990 at age 97.

Bifulco said he first became interested in fashion design while in sports when he was younger. He said he used to design better uniforms for his team. "Sports is why I got into it," he said.

Bard and Bifulco said they hope to find jobs in the fashion industry upon graduation. Bard, who is closer to completion, said she likely will stay with the company she is currently interning with, PlainMary.com, which specializes in baby clothes.

Bifulco said he is unsure where he will end up, but plans on going to Los Angeles, New York or Europe. He said he has learned a lot about the fashion industry in Las Vegas. But many of the jobs in Las Vegas center around costume designing, he said. "There's not a lot of straight up design jobs," he said.

Their instructor, Thomas, had a different outlook on the fashion industry in Las Vegas.

"Las Vegas is getting to be more open to having this industry," she said. "Designers are moving to Las Vegas, and eventually, it will be a new L.A. This is where it's happening."