Lights, camera, fashion!

By Nathan R. Huff

From sexy to sleek, formal to fun, students of the Fashion Design and Apparel Technology program at Saratoga's West Valley College showed off the fruits of their studies on May 12, in the school's annual fashion show.

This year's event, titled "Fusion in Fashion," featured individual pieces by nearly 50 students and lines of clothing from 11 graduating fashion students.

There was no specific theme for the show, which was a conscious choice by show producers to highlight the students' diversity in thought and design. Individual items were grouped into "Spring," which included skirts for men; a children's collection called "Small Wonders," "Fun Career," "After Five" and "Silicon Valley Leisure." Mervyn's, the corporate sponsor for this year's show, also presented a collection.

"We kind of let our students do whatever they want to do," said Kaee Minn, West Valley's Fashion Design and Apparel Technology Department chairwoman. "Then, based on what we get, we group them."

Graduating seniors produced lines of clothing with themes, but were still equally creative. Each of the 11 students produced a complete line and choreographed each collection to music. The diversity of fashions--from futuristic to flowery, Renaissance to retro--impressed everyone, including the show's producers. Fabrics and textures varied as much as the styles, some shiny, others soft.

"Every collection is totally diverse," producer and West Valley alum Joseph Domingo said. Domingo, who serves on the fashion program's advisory board, worked with Marian Clayden and her Saratoga store before opening his own company. "The theme is 'Fusion in Fashion,' since it brings all sorts of styles together."

Sara Todd, a Los Gatos Fashion Design graduate, said the show was wild and fun. Her own line, described as "sweet and sexy," featured pastels, faux fur prints, bare shoulders and backs and an alluring Dalmatian faux fur coat. She said many of the materials she used came from friends and going-out-of-business sales. All her designs had to pass the rigorous screening test of her 15-year-old neighbor.

"Right now I'm targeting the younger girl market," Todd said, "because they do the most shopping." Todd will work a summer internship with Chantî, which called her after the show. She eventually plans to start her own design business.

Fellow graduate and Monte Sereno resident Sabrina Haaberg presented her own line of clothing for "girls and women who live a healthy lifestyle." Haaberg, who will receive a Graphic Design degree from San Jose State, said the West Valley program gave her the tools to achieve her own boutique and/or line of clothing.

"Some people get the wrong idea because it's a junior college," Haaberg said, "but the program is really advanced."

West Valley's Fashion Design and Apparel Technology program targets getting students right into the workplace and has numerous internship connections with various fashion names. Minn said very few community colleges offer as extensive fashion programs as West Valley, and most graduates go on to work in the industry. Students are taught the latest in computer design, as well as traditional subjects such as fashion history.

Minn's student Lisa Rupp, who is already busy brainstorming ideas for her own line at next year's show, said the program is unique in its approach.

"The fact that the program is very similar to how the industry works gets you ready to go into the real world," said Rupp, whose white wedding dress closed the After Five collection.

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