On Friday, Oct. 13th, the Cartwright Hall Auditorium was turned into a hauntingly beautiful venue for the Fabric Pantry’s Haus of Horror Fashion Show.

Pearl Heinley, the president of the Fabric Pantry, shared the mission statement of the organization. Heinley said, “We take used materials from around the community and give them back to students for free.”

The message behind choosing Haus of Horror as the theme was to, “exemplify queer designs and queer culture through the Fabric Pantry,” Heinley said. “We also selected it because it’s October. We thought it’d be a really fun idea and get people in the mood for Halloween.”

Candles adorned the stage turned into the catwalk and there was a photo-op outside the auditorium for attendees to utilize. People who came showed up and showed out, with many dressed up in gothic colors or costumes to fit the vibe of Halloween.

The Haus of Horror fashion show had been in preparation since early August officially. Emily Cranston, the donations coordinator, said, “Every Friday, the board will meet and discuss the show and make decisions on important topics, like stage setup, model order and music. I love seeing the process and the amount of work that goes into creating a show. After countless hours and decision-making, the show has come together beautifully and successfully.”

The Fabric Pantry had the idea since May to do a horror-themed show. Heinley said, “As much fun as the Royal Court was, we wanted to do something kinda a little bit more opposite and cater to a different group, a different aesthetic of designers.”

32 students designed outfits for the show. The Fabric Pantry highlights the idea of amplifying student designers’ creations through the show and their mission statement of sustainability in recycling fabric. Each design was unique and on point with the theme.

Three judges evaluated each collection, eventually choosing the first, second and third place winning designers for this semester’s show. The judges on the panel were Dr. Ja Young Hwang, Dr. Michelle Burton and Archana Mehta. All of them are professors at the School of Fashion Design & Merchandising.

Each designer in the top three won a pair of scissors, either bronze, silver or gold depending on their place, and a gift card to Mood Fabrics.

In third place was freshman fashion design major Kai Daniel-Capasso, who had a collection of two pieces. Both looks were similar as they were both babydoll dresses, one pink and one blue, with matching heart-shaped paintings. The dresses featured detached sleeves decorated with bows and lacey details.

In second place was Ryan Bracken, a senior fashion design major, showing pieces from his collection CARIANI™. There were three looks in his collection. All had a theme of distressed fabric. Two of the three designs were a jacket and pants look, one popping with a collar and the other sporting a zipper. The third look was a top combined with a maxi skirt that overlaid fabric.

In first place was Hayden Davis, a sophomore fashion design major, who titled his collection “Vagabond Vetements”. The shoes of the initial two looks were sported with decorative bones on the laces and the back of one jacket featured the ribcage. This ribcage motif was complimented in the pants of the second ensemble, which was adorned with a bone design, similar to the shape seen on the shoes. The third look was made of a mix of beige fabrics, which contrasted with the previous patterns and dark grays.

For the show, the Fabric Pantry partnered with Branded at Kent and Sun In Leo, two locally owned small businesses. Both businesses showcased three looks utilizing products sold at their stores. The day of the show was the last day the fundraiser was held. The fundraiser was for the Fabric Pantry so that they can keep giving back to students. Whether that’s through buying organizational materials, gas for members to pick up donations, etc. Tickets were free to the show with either the ability to RSVP on KSU Engage or come the day of. Due to tickets being free, the Fabric Pantry had to gain income in a different way.

Heinley said, “If a new BeReal user added five friends, had their notifications on, shared their BeReal at the show, and posted it to their Instagram story while tagging the Fabric Pantry’s Instagram the organization receives ten dollars. If an existing user does the same the organization will receive $10.” Although this fundraiser has since ended, there will still be future ways to support the organization in the coming semesters.

The Fabric Pantry funds its shows and requests allocations for materials, trims, linings and sewing equipment through the University Student Government. The organization also accepts fabric donations from community members year-round to replenish the pantry.

If after the Haus of Horror show you’re interested in getting involved with the Fabric Pantry, reach out to their Instagram account: @thefabricpantry_ksu to receive more information. The pantry is available for students of any major to utilize, whether it is for class assignments or personal inspiration.

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