Thursday, September 22, 2011
Joel and I were invited to be guest judges for a fashion show at Utah State University Monday night. Aside from the awkward three-hour-long introduction of Joel (really, when the announcer just kept going and going, Joel and I were getting a bit embarrassed), we had a blast acting like we knew what we were doing as judges. The event was put on by the faculty and students of the Family and Consumer Sciences Education Department, and each of the student designers was given the challenge to create an outfit from recyclable materials. Wow! We were so impressed with their level of creativity.
We were invited to sit on the judging panel by Lindsey Shirley, Utah State University FCS Teacher Educator, because she and her students love using Joel's fabrics in their creative projects, but also because she wanted judges who place family as a huge priority in their lives. And, seeing as how Joel and I are expecting our fifth child in about six months, we certainly fit that description!
Here we are pictured with Dr. Shirley and a couple of her students:
We were asked to choose a winner for each of the four seasons of the year, and one "Best of the Year" designer. I didn't think about getting photos of the winners until everyone was on their way out of the ballroom after the show, but I did manage to catch three quickly snapped photos of a few of the winners:
Our favorite for winter was the "Inspired by the Movies" dress, created out of movie posters and film tape.
I couldn't find the winners for the spring and summer seasons, so you won't get to see the creativity that went into designing an outfit with beach towels and stuffed animals, and the other with a cowboy boot bodice and button-up shirt skirt.
I personally had two favorites for fall, but the consensus among the judges was the "Goldmine" dress, made out of paper bags:
And finally, the dress that absolutely stunned me when it was displayed on the catwalk was this "Dollar Store Bride" created out of coffee filters, tulle, fabric and broken up CD's. I wish I had taken just a moment longer to get a better shot. This design won the overall "Best of the Year" award.
I was so hesitant to agree to do this event with Joel because I am not a fashion guru, but I'm so glad I went. It turned out to be one of our favorite date nights!
