One is inspired by her grandmother. Another is inspired by her love of unicorns. A third is inspired by her love of nature and a fourth by water lilies.
All of those inspirations will be translated into fashion designs and will be part of the fashion show celebrating the fifth anniversary of the Lawton Public Schools Life Ready Center on April 16. Other events also are planned for the celebration, which starts at 5 p.m.
The fashion show, complete with a runway, will have a dual purpose: it will showcase the students’ designs and also be the students’ final projects.
Fashion design instructor Megan Scott said the theme of the final design assignment was avant-garde.
“I wanted them (students) to be creative. I wanted them to be more like art,” Scott said.
She asked for avant-garde, and she got avant-garde.
Sophia Cossio, 17, a senior at Lawton High School, is making a dress inspired by her grandmother and her love of flowers.
“She was all about taking care of her flowers,” Cossio said.
The dress features trailing red roses, baby’s breath, ivy for the greenery and a white orchid — all of which were her grandmother’s favorite flowers.
“I think she would be very proud of me and she would definitely love it,” Cossio said of her design. A friend will model the dress for her.
Caleigh Lynn, 17, a senior at Lawton High School, looked to her favorite mythical creature for inspiration.
“It was inspired by unicorns,” she said as she worked on the creation in soft pinks. “Unicorns are always portrayed as majestic while still being fun. You can be beautiful and still be fun.”
Lynn said she was using shiny rainbow fabric with pink sequins and three types of tulle. She started the train the week after Spring Break and was working on the top and corset a week before the fashion show.
The fashion show will be a dream come true for Lynn, who said she would like to pursue a career in fashion design.
“I would like to be a sketch artist for designs. That’s my favorite part of the process,” she said, adding that she plans to attend the fashion merchandising program at Oklahoma State University.
What does she want people to remember about the fashion show and her unicorn dress?
“I want them to think it is fun and whimsical and cute,” she said. “People are too focused on minimization. It would be fun to add some color back into people’s lives.”
Coriah Nero, 18, a senior at Lawton High School, looked to nature for inspiration for her raindrop outfit. She made the top from an upcycled cotton top and iridescent tulle. The garment originally started as a jellyfish, but Nero changed her mind and decided to make a raindrop instead.
Nero said she looks to nature for most of her ideas.
“I like to go outside,” she said. “I really enjoy nature. It’s one of the healings of the world.”
Another of her creations is a forest dress which included flowers she made from pipecleaners. Her younger sister will model the raindrop dress at the LRC fashion show. She said she hopes that people who see her designs are inspired to get outside.
“I want them to be inspired to go outside and see things,” she said. “Rain can be irritating, but the way it falls is beautiful and the way it smells is nice.”
Nero said she would like to pursue a career in fashion design.
“I’m not good at sketching. I’m good at making them,” she said.
Lillian Cecil, 18, a senior at MacArthur High School, also drew upon nature for inspiration for her water lily dress. She said she chose water lilies because they are her favorite flower.
“They really make me happy,” she said.
Cecil also wants to pursue a career in fashion design and has been accepted into the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York where she plans to study design and marketing.
“I’m very excited. I want to be a designer,” she said.
Cecil said the fashion design class at LRC helped her with the basics of design and selling.
“I love everything that has to do with it — the art, the freedom to be creative,” she said.
In all, seven students will have 24 pieces in the fashion show. The fashion show is one piece of the LRC celebration, which will feature a student art show, music and displays from the other disciplines at LRC.