Ever seen an acorn in a dress? Today is your chance: It’s going
to be nuts backstage at Live Oak High School’s theater when 150
fashion design students coordinate the 21st annual ROP fashion
show.
Ever seen an acorn in a dress? Today is your chance: It’s going to be nuts backstage at Live Oak High School’s theater when 150 fashion design students coordinate the 21st annual ROP fashion show.
“It’s a lot of fun. Everyone is running around to get whatever they need, shoes, makeup, everything,” senior Heather Cary said, who in her second year in the class has sewed her own design line: Fashion Through Time.
“We are all back there helping each other,” she said.
The theme this season is world travel – “because we’re a global community” – pilot of the journey and longtime ROP teacher Donna Ruebusch said.
Her classroom is dotted by spools of thread and fabric scraps with students hustling Wednesday to put the finishing touches on their garments. The skills learned in Ruebusch’s class add to the student’s knowledge repertoire – and, they say, it is just plain fun.
“It’s not a normal class, we have a lot of freedom. You can move around,” junior Kyle Luscher said, one of just a handful of boys in the three fashion design class periods. “I like knowing how to make things.”
“Plus, it’s like having 36 sisters,” Ruebusch said.
“Yeah, I know all the gossip,” Luscher joked.
The hour-plus show at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. today will open with the “passengers” in the audience fastening their seat belts for a journey around the world. Students constructed dresses from the flags of 13 countries to open the show that unveils the students’ designs in casual wear, sleep wear, beach wear and evening wear. Some girls will wear the prom dresses they made in Ruebusch’s class.
But, the highlight of the show will be the eight design lines created by second- and third-year students. Of their own volition, nine girls – one collection was done by a two-person team – developed their own fashion lines, from the vision to the sewing and construction to finding models for the show. And, let’s not forget hair and makeup.
“I want people to get it when they see the princesses,” senior Alex Gluck said, a third-year fashion student. Her design line theme is “Modern Disney Princesses” because of her deep adoration for the films. “I want them to remember the movie,” she said. Gluck’s 10 models will walk to the theme song that matches the princesses from Ariel to Belle to Jasmine. She will prance the catwalk as Nala from “Lion King,” who is a princess according to Gluck since Simba was a king.
Last-minute binding and surging of frayed edges were done Wednesday and Thursday, and the final fittings of students’ handmade garments.
“Honey, you’re going to gather this a bit and fold this back,” Ruebusch said to senior Alex Haaser who will unveil her Twist of Punk line that’s punctuated by Ray-Ban sunglasses, splashes of neon and fedoras. Haaser is attending San Francisco State in the fall and planning to major in fashion design.
Music suited for each design lines’ theme, such as “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” by Joan Jett for Haaser’s line – will accompany the models as well as a backdrop of coordinating slide shows or movies.
“It’s going to be fabulous,” Ruebusch said. “And the most technical show we’ve put on – the graphics, the movies, the lights, the sound.”
Tickets are $4 for the 4 p.m. show and $7 for the 7 p.m. show. Proceeds go back into the ROP class to buy new sewing machines, fabric and supplies.
Student design lines
Chelsey DellaMaggiore: Paparazzi
Alex Haaser: A Twist of Punk
Jessica Waller: Classy Chic
Shannon Volz and Bernice Leblanc: Neon Knights
Chasity Zamora: Candyland
Sarah Bernardini: Peace and Woodstock Rock
Heather Cary: Fashion Through Time
Alex Gluck: Modern Disney Princess
Caiti Kozacek: Barbie’s 50th Anniversary (birthday)
