A model walks down the runway in Timur Segun's design Tuesday night at the Kansas Union. The Istanbul, Turkey senior's design was inspired by the food hummus.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
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SUA Project Runway
Student Union Activities’ Project Runway held its fashion designing competition Tuesday. Six student designers competed for the top designer award. Photos by Andrew Hoxey. Audio by Dylan Sands.
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SUA Project Runway
Student Union Activities held its annual Project Runway competition Tuesday. KU fasion design student were required to make three outfits based on various catagories. This year's contest also featured guest judge Korto Momolu, fan favorite in season five of “Project Runway."
Student Union Activities’ Project Runway returned Tuesday with six new student designers competing for the ultimate University design title: Top designer. More than a month of work culminated in a runway show in the Kansas Union Ballroom. Bravo’s “Project Runway” Season Five finalist and fan favorite Korto Momolu guest judged the competition after speaking to fans and answering questions before the runway show.
The task
The task: Designers must create three garments. The first must be inspired by an emotion and the second by a food. The third must update an outdated trend. Amy Gairns, Leawood sophomore and cultural arts coordinator for Student Union Activities, said about 20 designers competed in the preliminary challenge of creating a garment based on an animal. Judges chose these designers from that pool on Sept. 29, and then it was on to Tuesday night’s finals. Joining Korto at the judges’ table were David Brackett, associate professor of visual arts, and Neesa Hussain, Wildman Vintage employee with a degree in fashion design.
"Project Runway" guest judge
Korto Momolu, fan favorite in season five of “Project Runway,” visited the University for the first time to judge this year’s SUA Project Runway contest. Momolu came in second in the fifth season of “Project Runway” and also came in second in the “Project Runway” all-star challenge.
Amy Gairns, Leawood sophomore and cultural arts coordinator for Student Union Activities, said Korto was a standout candidate to judge this year’s competition.
“We thought she would appeal to a different audience and she’s very creative,” Gairns said.
Korto, who said she had never been to Kansas, was born in Liberia and lived there until her family moved away during civil war. Her parents wanted her to be a doctor or a lawyer, but when they saw her talent in clothes design, they let her pursue her dreams.
“I’m living my dream right now and living my passion,” she said.
Korto said she started as a shopaholic, which led to wanting to design.
“I like playing dress-up, and why not make your own clothes if you can’t find them in the store?” she said.
When on “Project Runway,” Korto emphasized designing for real women and not super-skinny models. She said she designed for women who looked like her, who had had children and who had curves.
“I’m curvy, I’m an African woman and I’m never going to be 5-10 and a size 2,” she said.
Korto has a line of jewelry and handbags debuting in Dillard’s soon, and she has a fall fashion show coming up.
The designers:
Julian Rivera
Lenexa senior
Emotion: Bliss
Food: Onion
Trend: Poodle skirt
“I call it my cocktail onion, because it’s kind of like a cocktail dress but it’s an onion.”
Betsy Hatch
Kansas City, Kan., senior
Emotion: Surprise
Food: Pea pod
Trend: Shoulder pads
About the pea pod dress: “The inside is the good so it’s the best.”
Jayne Henson
Emporia senior
Emotion: Strength
Food: Rainbow sherbet
Trend: Zoot suit
Lauren Fallis
Plano, Texas, senior
Emotion: Trapped
Food: Maple-baked apples
Trend: Flared pants
“Last year I did this, but I didn’t really develop an interest in fashion until this year.”
Timur Sengun
Istanbul, Turkey, senior
Emotion: Sentimental
Food: Hummus
Trend: Neon
Korto about his hummus outfit: “I see you in that. You have a strong aesthetic.”
Kaitlin Voelker
Lincoln, Neb., senior
Emotion: Embarrassment
Food: Chocolate covered cherries
Trend: Overalls
Hussein about chocolate dress: “I can see what your forte is with the draping.”
— Edited by Samantha Foster and Tim Burgess
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