Portfolio in Motion Uncut: Cutting-Edge Fashion and Jhane Barnes Honored

Redskins apparel for women fans to evening and bridal wear.  Business attire, sportswear and swimwear, to menswear and children’s clothing.   Portfolio in Motion Uncut, Marymount University’s 2014 student fashion show, had it all! The lines of several fashion design alumni were also featured.

With a theme inspired by industrial art, the show premiered on May 1 with designer Jhane Barnes making a personal appearance to receive Marymount’s 2014 Designer of the Year Award in recognition of her innovative menswear, textiles, and creative use of mathematics in the design process.

WJLA’S Jummy Olabanji served as Mistress of Ceremonies. A reporter and anchor, Olabanji also teaches a fashion research and communication course at the university.  “So,” she noted, “it’s a special honor to be here today to welcome you to this fabulous event. I know how passionate the fashion design and fashion merchandising students are about their chosen field.”

The show’s jury-selected garments were modeled by a diverse selection of Marymount students showing senior student lines as well as themed scenes that included fashion-forward Redskins fan wear and garments made from fabric donated by Eileen Fisher, Marymount’s 2012 Designer of the Year.  Alumni designers featured included Claudia Hosky ʼ09, with her Fearless brand; Vesna Kustudic ʼ08 with Mint Lola, a bridal accessory atelier; and Sylvie Cachay ʼ99, the well-known SYLA swimwear designer, who died tragically in 2010.  (SYLA was featured as a tribute to this talented young designer. The Sylvie Cachay Memorial Project combats violence against women, funds fashion design scholarships for Marymount students, and supports the Animal Lovers Initiative.)

After the final runway walk, Janice Ellinwood, chair of the fashion programs, recognized outstanding fashion design student achievements:

The Portfolio in Motion Award and Best Line for Craftsmanship: Lisa Sanders
The NAMSBE Foundation Arthur H. Taylor Award for Excellence in Menswear Design and Best Line for a Target Market: Si-Jin Joo
Best Line for Innovation: Kieri Borg
Best Line for Draping: Eva Ramirez
Best Line for Fabrication: Charity Peart

To close the show, Marymount President Matthew D. Shank presented Jhane Barnes with the 2014 Marymount University Designer of the Year Award. Accepting the award, Barnes congratulated the students on “a professional show.” She told them, “You’re not just designing clothes and textiles, you’re designing your life. Go after what you want with no fear. You never know what’s just around the corner.”

“Know your strengths and show them,” Jhane Barnes told the seniors. “The more creative your portfolio is, the better. Show that you can write in your portfolio, too.” She added, “Wear your own garments to interviews and take samples with you.”

On the business side, she advised them to diversify, saying, “Some designers make money on fragrances to support the fashion side of the business. I always had an interiors business.” Of, course, now Barnes is shifting her focus strictly to contract interiors after more than 35 years in fashion.

“There is no set way of doing business. If you have the passion, you can find a way,: she concluded.  And lastly, “Only do what you believe in.”

*Photos credit Matt Dunham