CCAD Fashion Show: "Origins"

Their classroom might have only moved a few blocks, but this year's Columbus College of Art & Design senior fashion students are worlds away.

The fashion design program moved into the Design Studios on Broad building at the start of this school year, a three-story space with walls of windows overlooking Downtown's busy Broad Street.

With the move came a prompt for this year's senior fashion show: cityscapes.

The students went the distance.

The annual fashion show, a sold-out event happening this Saturday that benefits CCAD's general scholarship fund, is the result of a senior-level capstone class for which students must create four looks. Two of them will walk the runway on student models.

The theme is voted on by students the spring before their senior year. This year's seniors returned in the fall with sketches of collections inspired by the urban lifestyle, architecture and general atmosphere of locales around the world.

Some focused in on past travel locations, dream destinations or those with familial ties.

Nicole Emenpour was inspired to explore her Persian heritage and designed a collection reflecting the women of Tehran. "All you see is their eyes. That's all you're reading from them, and you want to know more."

"Origins," the show's name, was born.

The broad theme makes for a fun, more varied show, Cotton said.

"I think the students really have some different, interesting viewpoints on things," she added.

Beyond sketching and sewing, some students hand-painted fabric, beaded their own embellishments and made jewelry and belt buckles, Cotton said. Students can take jewelry-making classes and have access to a fabric-dyeing lab in the design building.

Although the fashion show is sold out, a free run-through of the runway show happens at 6 p.m. May 14 at the Canzani Center on campus. And you can get an inside look at the students' work in a special airing at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 15, on Channel 10.

Ready for the Runway

CCAD fashion students & the collections they created for "Origins"

Melissa Briscoe

A busy, metropolitan lifestyle is portrayed in a trendy-and-tailored look.

Suzana Clow

The architecture of suspension bridges comes to life in women's dresses.

Shann Cortes

Tropical-fruit-colored fabrics and a bevy of ruffles evoke a Puerto Rican paradise.

Cierra Lauren Cunningham

Resortwear looks juxtapose Tahiti's seashore and architectural elements.

Patrick Thomas Doyle

Garments with lots of purples and pleats call to mind London's edgy youth.

Nicole Emenpour

Draped black fabric with accents of teal and gold echo women's wear in Tehran.

Tonya Gaiters

Shanghai nightlife is depicted in simple lines, oversized details, and red and yellow silks.

Emily Gdula

Powerful women's wear in dark, moody colors inspired by World War II-era Berlin.

Miki Gotoh

Dresses in classic silhouettes and in indulgent fabrics were made with Milan's elite in mind.

Seoyeon Hur

Lightweight fabrics and flower shapes present the passion of Portuguese culture.

Gretchen Lightle

Lightle's hometown of Columbus inspires work that's part avante-garde, part rustic.

Randi Love

The grungy side of city life comes across in leather, zippers and spikes.

Susana Madrid

Playfully colorful garments evoke the markets and beaches of Cartagena, Colombia.

Kornelia Mayomi

Cold-weather fashions like fur muffs and velvet epitomize life in Moscow.

Betsy Munn

Feminine, 1930s-inspired dresses in Charleston's Rainbow Row-inspired colors.

Kumiko Ota

Tokyo's tranquil temples are reflected in a mix of light and heavy fabrics.

Robert Pesta

Glamorous and glittery lingerie-like designs have a Las Vegas showgirl in mind.

Rebecca Petry

The classic mood of Venice is translated into fit-and-flare silhouettes.

Laura Pfendler

Leather and chains mix with sunny, ruffled garments designed to be wearable art.

Randi Prudden

Busy city life contrasts with the quiet outdoors in this monochromatic collection.

Leslie Ritchey

Lebanon's symbolic cedar tree is portrayed through organic designs incorporating vines and blooms.

Ashley Spencer

Uber-designed separates with screenprinting and zippers reflect Detroit's urban decay.

Allison Woelfel

Garments of hand-dyed, natural fibers and furs are inspired by Anchorage, Alaska.

Ahan Woo

Casual and glamorous fabrics are fit to wear to the Cannes International Film Festival.