Johnson County Community College fashion and culinary departments collaborate on Eye Candy show April 21
Left: Allison Meyer models a top and skirt of her own design. Right: Lu Lu models a dress designed by Diana Rios Lucia. // Courtesy photo JCCC
Johnson County Community College will present an event Friday, April 21, at 6:00 p.m. in the WHCA Lobby featuring original fashion design, local models, and food, all benefitting scholarship funds at JCCC. Eye Candy, the aptly titled 2023 fashion show, will feature savory and sweet canapés prepared by the award-winning culinary division, followed by eye-catching original designs from the Fashion Department strutting the runway.
Fashion students have worked with faculty to develop this event. The show will feature original designs created by students in the Apparel Design and Technology AAS program. All proceeds from this food and fashion show collaboration support student scholarships.
“From kale chips and avocado toast to our current fascination with corsets and Y2K style, trends in food and fashion come and go. Today the parallels between food and fashion are more evident than ever,” say JCCC students and faculty in a press release for the event. “Fashion and food both rely on seasonality, trend awareness, and consistent pressure to reinvent the basics. Their creative processes involve research, inspiration, a willingness to experiment, and endless revisions, all in the pursuit of a desired style. Both chefs and designers are meticulous about their selection of tools, from quality knives and scissors to the perfect fabric or ingredients. This year, the intersection of food and fashion will meet on the runway at the 2023 JCCC Fashion Show.”
“Food and fashion are sensory experiences; they are visual and tactile, a delight for the senses,” the press release continues. “The Director of Hospitality at JCCC, Jason Lafferty, describes plating a meal and adding the garnish as ‘the perfect flavor embellishment’ for a curated plate. One can see the correlation between this act and the act of styling an outfit and selecting those ideal accessories as the finishing touch.”
Professor Audrey Michaelis states, “Slow fashion is following slow food. Sustainability is hugely important in food and fashion. Consumers expect creative professionals to take a stand. Many of our designers are reusing existing fabrics from thrift stores, estate sales, and donations. One student even deconstructed existing garments to create a new textile and then reconstructed an entirely new design.”
After the pre-show celebration offering the canapes, diverse local models of all body types will showcase the designs on the runway. Tickets are $25 per person and are available online.
