Kent State University and the International Fashion Academy Paris have collaborated with fashion show production company, Next Frontier in Fashion. The show took place this Thursday, Oct. 17 in Manhattan to celebrate the respective schools’ graduating classes of 2024. The show featured young designers emerging into the fashion industry from Kent, Ohio all the way to Paris, France. 

In planning the event, inspiration was drawn from the Battle of Versailles, honoring the current collaboration of the countries, much like the original Battle of Versailles Fashion Show in 1973. To celebrate the two nations, the New York and Paris skylines were projected on the walls of the venue with the words “Scene Makers” in the middle. The featured designers from both nations are new emerging creatives and will be repainting the “scene” with their own visions. The theme further contributed to the overall celebration of the graduating class by representing “the first day of the rest of their lives” by showcasing the prevalent cities these young designers study and live in, as explained by the event’s creative director, TJ Edwards.

The young designers showcased in this fashion show pushed the boundaries of creativity and fashion with “a range of aesthetics,” emphasized by industry professional, Marla Cotton. The featured looks questioned the purpose of garments and self-expression. 

The varying styles shown by each designer complement each other’s differences and allow each look to stand out. Each designer poured their heart and soul into their collections, which captured their uniqueness and personality. Each look featured unique silhouettes, textures, colors and styles that showcased each designer’s aesthetic and talent.

With such a large group of talented emerging designers, it can be easy to feel lost amongst the crowd, but this group of designers finds strength within their fashion community. Featured designer, Zoe Wenger, finds it “truly inspiring seeing all that [her] peers have accomplished.” The graduates can push each other toward being the best designers they can be by challenging each other and uplifting each other’s creative talents. These young creatives find power in collaboration and pushing each other towards greatness. Having a group of individuals to work with and share success with allows these designers to feel empowered. But most importantly, their connection to each other highlights they have earned a place in this cutthroat industry.

After graduation, each designer will take the chance to find their place within the fashion world. While the vastness of the industry can be daunting, industry professional Marla Cotton reassures us “to soldier through and eventually, you will find your place.” 

Each designer featured in the collaborative fashion show expressed immense talent, creativity and dedication to their craft. The models featured in the show did a beautiful job committing to their looks and bringing the designers’ visions to life. With each movement of the models, we could see how the garments reacted to being worn in their intended use. The overall production of the fashion show was a beautiful homage to the collaborations between the USA and France— all represented by the garments produced by Kent State University and the International Fashion Academy.

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Hi! I’m Kayla Friedman, A Magazine’s editor-in-chief. My staff and I are committed to bringing you the most important and entertaining news from the realms of fashion, beauty and culture. We are full-time students and hard-working journalists. While we get support from the student media fee and earned revenue such as advertising, both of those continue to decline. Your generous gift of any amount will help enhance our student experience as we grow into working professionals. Please go here to donate to A Magazine.