Graduating VPA fashion design majors go out with a bang

Syracuse University fashion design seniors completed their final test in the program on April 25, debuting their own 25-piece collections in the annual College of Visual and Performing Arts fashion show.

Tired, stressed and sleep deprived, dozens of students pulled themselves together for the moment they had been waiting for since freshman year. 

The show captured the audience's attention from the very first look, proving that upstate New York — NYC’s less fashionable stepsister — can throw down with the best of them.

Photo: Miriam Taylor

Models show off fashion design senior Amanda Martinez's collection at Goldstein Auditorium on April 25.

Each student had complete creative control over their designs and it showed, with every collection having its own unique personality.

Amanda Martinez’s wildflower-esque collection featured feminine cuts, floral dresses, hipster headbands and strappy sandals, fit for a scene out of Shakespeare’s "Midsummer Night's Dream."

Emmy Harrington’s models strutted down the runway to the Beastie Boys’ "Intergalactic" while dressed in her collection “The Visitors," which she describes as varsity athletic wear meets alien invasion.

Young and talented, these designers have a bright future ahead of them, and now that commencement weekend has come and gone, the fashion industry is #blessed to have them.

Look out Alexander McQueen — these women know what they’re doing, and they're coming for you.