Emily Weise
RUNWAY
Woodbury University Celebrates Design Student Collections
Woodbury University honored its fashion-design students by showcasing their impressive collections on May 1 at its 57th annual fashion show, this year called Odyssey, at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.
Due to the pandemic, its 56th show did not take place in 2020 but was presented online in 2021.
Anna Leiker, chair of the Fashion Design department, stated that “Woodbury celebrates the creativity, talent, innovation and dedication of the fashion designers of tomorrow. Odyssey, a long, eventful event or adventurous journey, defines the theme through which our students created design narratives reflecting their personal experience and stories of both trials and triumphs.”
Leiker also described the students that attend Woodbury as vessels of unique talent that hold a torch toward the excitement in the future of fashion.
The Animation, Filmmaking, Game Art & Design, and Graphic Design departments were featured in the pre-show media and design exhibits from students who were inspired to construct fashion narratives that reflected their personal journeys while also anticipating future trends in the apparel industry.
Friends, family, alumni and senior faculty members experienced the very bright future fashion is heading toward as the museum was transformed into a white runway for young designers to create a world with a new culture of style. Asymmetrical silhouettes, lace, denim and intricate back details were predominant trends on the runway.
The senior collections included designs from 14 graduating students, including Natalie Arriaga for Willow, Anne Kyrsten Cruz Cananan for The Imperial Jewel, Joey Coward for Fatum Luminis, Jesse Garcia for Starscape, Siuneh Khachatourian for Forever Yours, Jessica Lemus for Untitled V.1, Amy Ma for Eastern Etiquette, Jenni Saengsri for UVII, Tajia Stroud for Bib&Tucker, Victoria Tavoukjian for her untitled collection, Melissa Urrutia for Divine Valentine, Emily Weise for Afterglow, Donny White for The Odyssey of the Dart Frog and Alexa Zhukova for Hidden in the Forest.
Senior award winner Jesse Garcia said that his journey through his Starscape collection led him to space. “This collection is inspired by sci-fi and the universe, with an intention to take viewers through a space odyssey. Key aspects in his collection included punk streetwear, complete with spikes, zippers and metallic tones. Garcia described his line as “edgy and bold.” He also cautioned that the line is “known to make all wearers appear EXTRA-terrestrial and Earthlings will stare.”
Woodbury was founded in 1884 by educator and entrepreneur F.C. Woodbury, who recognized the rise in the needs of the Los Angeles business community. Formerly known as Woodbury College, the institution quickly gained recognition for accredited programs and honorable alumni such as William Travilla, whose muse was old-Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe, and who designed the legendary white dress Monroe wore while standing on a New York City subway grate.
Woodbury University hosts its commencement ceremony for classes 2020, 2021 and 2022 on May 14.
