A Night at "The Gallery"

An inside look at FADS’ eye-catching fall fashion show

by AINSLEY HOLMAN ★ PHOTOS by AINSLEY HOLMAN ★ DECEMBER 8, 2019

A runway showered in bright red and yellow lights, walls lined with beautiful and complex tapestries by student artists, and a DJ playing beats perfectly matching the models’ walks, each donning creative and unique designs, created the exhilarating atmosphere for the Fashion and Design Society’s fall show, The Gallery.

FADS approached their fall show wanting to showcase the unique intersection between art and fashion, one that is continuously being explored in high fashion shows, such as Oscar de la Renta and Marc Jacobs.

Models: Izmalia Sougoufara and Katherine Nehring, Designer: Aanya Singh

“We wanted to do something different,” said Aanya Singh, the president of FADS. “This year was about showcasing art, and how fashion is art, and we are so happy that it came together exactly how we envisioned it in the beginning stages.” Singh, a junior studio art major, has been involved in FADS since her freshman year at Syracuse.

“When I was applying to Syracuse, I actually saw FADS listed as an organization, and as soon as freshman year rolled around, I joined immediately,” shared Singh. “I became vice president second semester freshman year, and then president sophomore year.” As president, Singh organizes every aspect of FADS, directs and produces the show, and executes visions for all projects. “I basically just make sure everything goes the way it should be,” said Singh.

Model: Aiden Taylor, Designer (top): Nicole Contente, Designer (Bottom): Amish Ghosh

According to their website, FADS is a “diverse group of career-minded individuals at Syracuse University who share a passion for creativity, design, and fashion.” The organization produces one to two full-fledged fashion shows, as well as regularly conducting photoshoots for social media and its website throughout the school year. FADS also puts on fundraising events and photoshoots for school publications, and are starting to bring in speakers that are open to the entire student body. 

Basically, FADS has become a full-blown fashion and beauty machine. 

Model: Soleil Andrews, Designer: Adelle Wade

“We want to transform this club into an agency for designers, models, makeup artists, and more,” said sophomore designer Emily Goldberg.

Goldberg, a fashion design major, has loved fashion her whole life and was extremely excited to get involved in the field when coming to college. “I’ve always loved dressing up, like I was ‘that’ kid that wore a fancy outfit to school every day,” said Goldberg. “I got super into it in high school, and when it came time to apply to college, it wasn’t even a thought; I knew I wanted to do fashion as my career.”

Model: Erica Jules, Designer: Emily Goldberg

Goldberg is the FADS design coordinator, meaning she is in charge of gathering design submissions, organizing clothing, making sure models are fitted for clothes, and dressing models during the show. “One of my favorite parts about The Gallery was how it was so open to interpretation; we had such different pieces in the show,” said Goldberg. “Another thing I loved was how the designers walked the runway with their models at the end. It was such a powerful way to end the show because everyone in the audience got to see the face behind the design.”

Model: Payton Campbell, Designer: Aleena Brown

Held at Skybarn on Friday, December 6, the sold-out, entirely student-run event featured designs from 21 students on 27 models, each showcasing how fashion and art are interchangeable concepts.

Zuzanna Mlynarczyk, one of the show’s models, said she “felt amazing walking down the runway.”

“It all came together so well,” shared Mlynarczyk. “The great thing is that students make all of these clothes, and we are so grateful that the designers put so much effort in, and it’s just incredible to see all of the art that they made.” FADS’ fall show was Mlynarczyk’s first time modeling, but she said she felt extremely prepared for the show, due to weekly practices and the experienced coaches that train the models in everything from walking to posing.

Model: Zuzanna Mlynarczyk, Designer: Adelle Wade

Leading up to the show, the models had a series of fittings to try on the different pieces. “The designers want to see who looks best in what, like if your skin tone matches a certain piece better, and from there, they start planning the makeup looks, which was so fun,” said the sophomore graphic design major. “Being a model isn’t about looking pretty. It’s about showcasing the clothes that you get to wear, and being able to show the clothes in motion and how they look on the body,” stated Mlynarczyk. “However, it’s super important to have a good walk.”

Model: LJ Luna, Designer: Anish Ghosh

While the fashion pieces showcased during The Gallery were an incredibly important piece of the night, the eye-catching and dynamic makeup looks equally stole the show.

“For the makeup this year, it was more about creating a canvas. The model is the canvas to put our art on and execute it that way,” said A’ngelee Claus, the head of hair and makeup for FADS. Claus, a senior retail management and marketing major, wanted to incorporate “super avant-garde looks that were high-color and popped on the models” into the show. “We pulled a lot of inspiration from the show Euphoria and Rihanna’s SAVAGE X FENTY show,” said Claus.

Model: Michael Glass, Designer: Jackson Ensley

Artists utilized geometric patterns to create dynamic makeup looks, for the styling team “wanted the makeup to accent the models’ features as well, so we used a lot of symmetry, circles, semi-circles, moons, and crescents on each model,” shared Claus.

The show’s models were “extremely grateful for the talented makeup artists,” said Mlynarczyk. “The artists went for a bold look for everyone, and it all tied in together, everyone’s makeup worked with all their outfits.”

Currently, FADS has around 50 members in the organization and has doubled its membership growth since its spring show Night Circus.

Model: Deji Awe, Designer: Aanya Singh, Bag: Jackson Ensley

“I love FADS because of the community that we’ve built,” said Singh. “It’s a group of people from all different backgrounds and majors coming together over their love of fashion to make something amazing. We all have this energy and drive to create.” Goldberg agrees with Singh, stating that “everyone is so close,” and that they are a “team of creative people but in all different areas.” Goldberg added that she loves how “experimental FADS is.”

Model: Ifetayo Dudley, Designer: Anna Molinari

“We are trying to make our shows a full-blown experience instead of your typical fashion show,” stated Singh. “From the music, to lighting, to models, I think fashion shows are becoming more performative than just your basic white walls and a couple of models wearing clothes.”

As for what’s next for FADS, “we are planning to bring Betsey Johnson and other cool people to speak on campus next fall,” said Singh. “FADS is just getting bigger and better, and we are excited to see how it grows from here.”

You can find out more about FADS and their upcoming events by following their Instagram (@syracusefads) or visiting their website.

Cover photo: Model: Izmalia Sougoufara, Designers: Pin Sangkaeo and Benson Joseph