YV-Tech’s own ‘Project Runway’

As I walked into the Yakima Valley Technical Skills Center Jan. 11, I had no idea what to expect.
This would be the first day of our “Project Runway” reenactment in my fashion marketing class.
And I was extremely nervous and anxious to find out what our first challenge would be.
One week earlier, our class had a basic lesson on how to sew, and I learned I wasn’t too good at it. Never before had I made clothes, and I wasn’t sure how my designs would turn out.
Mostly, I didn’t want to be the first to be eliminated.
Once I entered my classroom, I started chatting with some of my classmates and realized I wasn’t the only panicky one. Many of my peers were also hoping not to be the first eliminated.
Soon, it was time for our first challenge.

Round One: “Hat Attack.”
For our first challenge, we had to pick an item out of a tub filled with shirts, skirts, sweaters and other articles of clothing. I chose a white knit sweater, wondering what I would have to do with it. Finally, our host announced we had two hours to create a hat from the material we had chosen.
The first thing that ran through my mind was: “How will I turn a white sweater into a hat someone would actually want to be seen in?”
After cutting off the hood, an idea came to me. I ended up making a snow hat topped with a big red ball made of tissue paper and two strings of yarn hanging down with little red cotton balls on the ends. Once I finished, I felt confident about my creation.
Karem Escalante, an 18-year-old senior from Selah High School, was our own personal Heidi Klum.
She said she volunteered to be the host — like the real-life super model — because she wanted a chance to practice her people skills. Escalante not only announced the challenges, she also judged the competition. She said she based her judgments on originality, neatness and contestants’ abilities to use all the materials to their advantage and at the same time hide their flaws.
“You have to be organized, creative and sell the product well,” she said.

When the judging time came, I considered myself lucky not to be eliminated or to be in the bottom three. At this moment, I realized that I could do this. This challenge proved to me that I had the creativity to make it in this competition.

Round Two: “The Art of Paper.”
Our second challenge was a two-day challenge. We had to make a jacket out of 10 American Eagle paper bags. Again, I had no idea what I was going to do at first, so I decided to sketch.
Creating the design was a lot harder than I imagined because the paper bags were stiff and didn’t have flexibility like fabric would. I ended up adding little jewels in the front to include more color. Again, I wasn’t eliminated or even in the bottom three.

Round Three: “Pint Size.”
In this challenge, we were given a Barbie doll and a picture of an outfit to recreate out of fabric. I knew there would eventually be a challenge where I would have to sew, and I was extremely nervous that mine would turn out horrible. To my surprise, I didn’t end up in the bottom three. I wasn’t eliminated. And I was very relieved.

But the challenges became harder.
I had a feeling I could only go along for so long until eventually I’d do something really amazing — or totally mess up. By the sixth challenge, I was eliminated. We had to create an outfit out of plastic Safeway bags, and mine didn’t have much shape to it.
I was disappointed, but also relieved I wouldn’t have to stress over the harder challenges soon to come. I was very proud of myself for making it as far as I did.
Ashley Burns, an 18-year-old senior from Selah High School, said she thought she would make it far in the competition, but she didn’t expect to make it to the finals.

The final challenge: “Rags to Riches.”
Burns and three others had to create a Chanel-like look out of mop heads and dish towels. With 15 minutes left before judging, Burns hurried to finish her dress, screaming and hot-gluing the final touches onto it. Finally, she finished her dress with two minutes left before judging.
“I wish we had 15 more minutes,” she said.

At the last minute, I was chosen to be a judge for the final competition because one of the five judges didn’t show up. Besides Escalante, I was the only other student selected to judge the competition.
I felt excited and nervous being given this responsibility because I wanted the contestant with the best outfit to win. After the finalists explained their designs to us, we went into a separate room to select the winner of our own “Project Runway.”
It was a difficult decision.
“I don’t want people to think I’m choosing favorites or being mean,” Escalante said.
All the judges, including me, were in agreement that first place would go to either Korrie Tyler, a 17-year-old senior from Selah High School, or Terrihn Williams, an 18-year-old senior from Davis High School.
Williams’ design was the most creative, while Tyler had truly embodied a Chanel look. It was tough, but in the end we decided Williams deserved to be the winner.
Araceli Soto, a 19-year-old senior from Davis High School, was the third-place winner. According to her, none of the challenges was easy.
“I’m proud of everyone who made it as far as they did,” she said.

Burns ended up with fourth place. In her opinion, everyone who made it to the finals really deserved to be there.
“I thought I was going to get fourth place and that Terrihn would win,” she said. “I really liked her design.”
Williams said it felt good to win because she felt she had a lot of competition. As the winner, she will receive a $100 gift certificate to the store of her choice.
“I was just doing my best work and hoping they liked it,” she said.

This is the third year the fashion marketing class at YV-Tech has done a “Project Runway” reenactment, and each year the challenges change. My fashion marketing instructor, Michelle Hudson, is responsible for this. She confessed watching the real “Project Runway” reality television show inspired her.
“I thought it would be something fun and engaging for the students,” she said.
Most of the challenges Hudson comes up with are inspired by what she sees and reads in fashion magazines. According to Hudson, it takes a lot of work to prepare for her “Project Runway” class competition. She has to ask for donations, get all of the supplies and material, and make sure there is enough for everyone.
Each year, Hudson’s “Project Runway” is filmed by students in YV-Tech’s Digital Media Video class. At the end of the season, the video is turned into a DVD as a souvenir for students.
Also, some of the top designs from this year’s competition will be displayed in the annual juried show at Allied Arts in April.
“It’s rewarding seeing how happy (students) are and seeing them have fun,” Hudson said. “At the same time, it’s real world because they have to produce a project and present it in a short amount of time.”

— Laura Aguilera-Flemming is a junior at Eisenhower High School and a member of the Herald-Republic’s Unleashed journalism program for students.