Troy design students enter the Eufaula Spring Gala, showcasing a headdress and character
She was a protector of the forest, and she didn’t walk down the aisle as the other fashion show models did – she floated, wearing gold makeup, a long black gown and ornate deer antlers which adorned her like a crown.
Those antlers were 3D printed, and the moss, butterflies and flowers were hand-placed. It was a complex headdress that took seven Troy University design students three months to design and craft, and they built an entire character and backstory to go along with it.
The Eufaula Spring Gala took place on Saturday, including four art galleries and showcasing a headdress fashion show. As one of the first ever events put on by the Bluff City Arts Alliance, in partnership with the Eufaula Heritage Association’s Annual Pilgrimage, the Gala raised over $6,000 for the Van Go project that will allow a van to bring all kinds of art – including dance and painting – to schools and communities.
Thanks to a grant from the Alabama Commission of Higher Education and the guidance of Dr. Edward Noriega, a professor of art and design, students had the opportunity to be involved, and Noriega said they stole the show.
“I couldn't be prouder of the students and the work that they did,” Noriega said. “Through this project, they've taught me so much, and I really give them all full credit.
“Seeing the end results and going, ‘Holy smokes,’ was a result of everybody's contribution and pressing them and pressing them – and they're not fashion designers, but they really did come out with a phenomenal piece.”
The team consisted of the following students: Caylie Cogburn, Reanna Thompson, Emily Bumgardner, Kai MacFarlane, Tessa Suell, Sydney Burlingame and Hannah Helms.
The backstory for the character was a collaborative effort but was ultimately written by Suell, a senior double major in graphic design and computer science from Troy, Alabama. The character is a gothic southern woman who, facing a dreaded arranged marriage, fled into the forest she loved and drowned. Two animals, a stag and a viper, sacrificed themselves to give the woman new life. Resurrected, she protected the animals from human hunters.
The base was made of deer antlers and the skeleton of the viper, representing decay, and the plants represented the life that grows out of death.
Suell said their darker theme made their headdress stand out.
“When we got to the show, everyone else's headdresses were following the nature theme with this beautiful kind of life and fun, and then we were life and decay,” Suell said. “It was a completely different vibe, and when [Helms] stepped out, you could like hear the audience holding their breath, and it was just so rewarding.”
Helms, a senior graphic design major from Troy, had the honor of being the model for the fashion show.
“My favorite moment was when a mom walked up to me with her small daughter,” Helms said. “She told me her daughter couldn’t stop talking about our headdress and wanted to speak to me.
“As I talked to the little girl and let her interact with the headdress and dress, I realized she thought I was a princess. To see even that little girl enjoy something my friends and I had made was probably the most special moment and definitely one I won’t forget.”
Noriega explained the goal of the project was to encourage talent retention in the state – preventing creative professionals from moving across the country after graduating – by helping them build relationships with and learn about Alabama communities.
The design process was a long and innovative one that involved multiple designs and days of research. A very small part of the brainstorming process included AI and photoshopped images to create mock-ups, although ultimately, the design the students chose was completely original.
“AI will not take jobs away from people who know how to use AI,” Noriega said. “I think it's imperative that our students who are learning to be creative are employing the AI tools while still being able to capture the essence of who they are in their design and artwork.”
Andrew Haueter, an assistant professor of costume design and technology, also met with the students once a week to help them understand the physics of crafting such a piece.
“It's challenging in the sense that every person is built differently, so not only are you making this magnificent headpiece, but you also have to make sure it's comfortable and secure to the model's head,” Haueter said. “They did such a great job, and they were able to combine all of their designs into something they were proud of.”
The Vice President of the Bluff City Arts Alliance is Dr. Dee Bennett, who is also a Troy University professor in the College of Education. Bennett said the fashion show is the start of a much longer partnership with creative students.
“Because of how extravagant the graphic design presentation was from these students, it served as a springboard for our organization to continue to work at Troy University in other areas of the arts: music, film production, singing, dance,” Bennett said. “I would also like to say how exciting it was to work for our community to work with Troy University students and showcase their talent.
“Across the community all day on Sunday, at workplaces, at the local coffee shop, there was just still a roar of how amazing it all was.”
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