Megan Mitton, a senior majoring in fashion apparel and textiles, said she was inspired when she studied abroad in Paris two summers ago. She said she wanted to incorporate the beauty of Paris into her clothing while also tying it into a common theme. The name of her line is “Belle Jolie,” which means beautiful madness.
Mitton’s collection featured four looks she debuted at Birmingham Fashion Week last year. Her other two looks included a big skirt and a white ensemble look. Many of the looks were accessorized with handmade lace chokers.
“I wanted to bring sexy appeal to it, but with a couture feel,” she said. “The finale skirt took the longest, and I was up until 4 a.m. on that one.”
The students began working on their lines of up to eight looks over the summer. Bria Robinson, a senior majoring in apparel and textile design and fashion retailing, said she spent up to 40 hours working on a faux fringe dress she made for the show. Robinson got the idea for her collection from the ‘70s and her family’s connection to the decade.
“My dad is a big fan of the ‘70s, and he has a lot of memorabilia from that time that inspired me – specifically his cars,” she said. “The one that I was inspired by was mainly his 1969 Bel Air. I looked at the different textures from the car such as the leather seats and the paneling in the car.”
Robinson said most of the clothes she made are things she would wear. A few of the looks are things she said she dreams of wearing but couldn’t on a daily basis. Robinson’s models wore clothes ranging from a pink jumpsuit to a white faux fringe dress. Each of the models was styled with a signature big ‘70s hairdo.
For Mitton, the best part about participating in Fashion for Life was seeing the audience’s reactions during the show.
“This is my favorite part of the whole thing,” she said. “The gratification of seeing my clothes walk out there and be real – that’s the best part.”
