Although USC’s Fashion Industry Association (FIA) will hold their annual fashion show this Saturday, April 13, rehearsals and dress fittings have been underway for months. This year’s theme is sonder, which, by definition means “the feeling that one has on realizing that every other individual one sees has a life as full and real as one’s own.”
“We actually look at the designers first, and then we pick the theme,” Evelyn Zhong, head of events at FIA and a junior majoring in urban studies and planning, said. “So sonder is our way of portraying how each designer, each collection, each person has a separate distinct style and life and we really want to celebrate that diversity of […] what we present to people, how we give the experience to the audience members.”
The events, casting and outreach team came together to search for designers whose looks they can incorporate into the show by creating groups of designers that have a distinct theme. Not all of the designers are USC students, but they are all based in Los Angeles.
“My vision with [the theme] is promoting everybody’s uniqueness, how everybody can style clothes in different ways and show off their personality just through clothes without even saying words,” Co-President of FIA, Justin Tsai, a sophomore studying business administration with an emphasis in marketing, said.
From designer Angela Li’s reconstructed denim textiles to Ky Jeon’s hand-painted pieces on recycled fabric, Tsai’s sentiment is echoed in the variety of outfits and the difference in the aesthetics of the designer.
“His [designer Max Rosenberg] designs are jackets and a lot of weave work,” said Sage Cordsen, a PHD student who is modeling in the show. “It is really awesome homemade stuff.”
And no two designs are the same.
“[Designer Miranda Moreno] is doing a wonderful line inspired by winter and ice queens, and if you’ve ever watched ‘Sharkboy and Lavagirl,’ the snow queen is the inspiration for the look,” said Hanah Abualhaj, FIA model and senior majoring in communication.
Models León Prieto and Vincent Li explained that the models had to audition in front of the FIA executive board. While Prieto had walked for FIA before, Li was new to the experience and he wasn’t the only one. Over 100 auditioned, many with no prior experience. Once they were chosen for the show, the designers then picked who they wanted for their looks.
“To me, this experience means an adventure,” said Fernanda Tapia, a model majoring in film production and theater. “Find what makes you, you, and put that in your walk,” Tapia said. “It doesn’t have to be a high fashion runway walk, it has to be a ‘you’ walk.”
To see the designs and models, attend the show this upcoming Saturday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m at 300 S Mission Road. Notable vendors include Dulce, Tinder and Fiji Water. More information can be found on the USC FIA Instagram page, where tickets are available to purchase through the link in their bio.