Using costume pieces donated by Treasure Island Hotel, students in FIDM Fashion Club are learning how to realistically distress clothing. Students were able to burn, paint, tear and cut the fabric in any way they chose. 

“It was honestly extremely stress relieving since we are distressing these outfits to make the costumes an extremely dirty pirate,” senior Keisha Farrales said. “We were able to choose whatever we wanted to do with the costume. I chose to paint and burn mine, and I also cut off the sleeves. It was the perfect time for this because Halloween is coming up.”

This being the first in-person Fashion Club meeting of the year allowed for students to connect and meet with others that they’ve only seen online. 

“I feel like the clubs I’m in are really hands-on and I have a better experience with them in person,” junior Nya Lewis said. “I also think that going in person creates bonds with other people in the club. You can’t really talk to other people individually on a google meet. I was able to bring my friend who is in the Dental program to join the Fashion Club. I am in the Fashion program but I thought she would enjoy it. It ended up being a good experience for the both of us.”

Learning how to distress clothing, such as shirts and jeans, is a trendy and important skill in the fashion industry.

“It’s a great activity to practice how to distress, which is vital in the fashion industry,” Farrales said. “It also helps me learn how to elaborate and interact with others, especially with students I have not met yet.”

For Fashion Design instructor Levi Harbeson learning these skills early on provided him with a background in costume design before working in the entertainment industry. 

“When I was working for Utah Shakespeare Festival a huge part of my job one summer was painting the crowns for the royalty in the Shakespeare plays,” Harbeson said. “We individually made each crown, and they hand painted it to make it look older and worn. The same goes for the clothes. At Criss Angel’s mindfreak there was a set of Voodoo Doll costumes, and I worked with the other costume technician to make them look worn, bloody, and scary.”

The next main event for Fashion Club is hosting a clothing drive for transgender youth. 

“We have some really cool things on the planner, but up next we will be hosting a clothing drive for the Trans+ Switch Closet at the LGBTQ Center,” Harbeson said. “The purpose of this clothing drive will be to collect new and lightly used clothing for members of the Trans+ community to have access to so they can dress as they want to and feel confident in who they are.”