Clothing as a vehicle for individuality and self-expression was the theme at last night's second-annual fashion show, SexPosed. Following the success of last year's event, the Gallatin School of Individualized Study hosted the show to emphasize the important role of gender in fashion. The 10 featured collections dismissed the notion that gender is communicated by what a person wears.
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"You don't necessarily have to express your gender all the time," said Rachel Plutzer, director of special events at Gallatin and organizer of the show. "We wear different outfits to express different sides of ourselves."
Plutzer added that the gender divide in both fashion and society is clearly evident.
"I love high heels," she said, "but I know that they were designed by men to make women's legs look longer."
In a video presentation before the show, men who had been interviewed prior to the show voiced their opinions that nothing is sexier than a woman in men's clothing. Confidence is key — a woman should dress in what reflects her personality and feels comfortable.
The 15 talented student designers, some of whom collaborated on their collections, sought to evoke a story through each line. Models of both genders were in the show, but the focus was not on whether the model was male or female, but on who they were as a person.
The room was crowded as the models hit the runway that assistant director Theresa Anderson described as "beyond awesome and creative."
Supermodel Cheryl Tiegs served as master of ceremonies at the event.
"Fashion should be an expression of your inner soul," Tiegs said when she opened the show. "Think creativity."
Designers Megan Moore, Elyse Frenchman and Liza St. John, who created five looks together, concentrated specifically on this concept.
"Our theme is androgyny," Frenchman, a Gallatin freshman, said. "Everything is so divided now between genders that this event is trying to show that it doesn't really matter. We identify ourselves through clothing."
While some designers wanted to showcase how masculinity and femininity can be mutually transformed, others chose to define the shape of the human body using geometric shapes.
Plutzer and Anderson said they hoped those who attended the show would walk away with a fresh perspective on fashion. They wanted audience members to see the looks not just as shirts, skirts and pants, but as stories composed of material, pattern, shape and structure.
The positive reaction of the crowd indicated the accomplishment of this goal.
CAS junior Julie Osmanski said her favorite part of the show was "seeing everyone's interpretation of the overall theme of the show."
