The studio lights in the Human Ecology Building have been aglow at all hours for weeks. Designers are finishing seams and stitching beadwork. Runway teams and models are timing the show down to the second. Business operations are marketing the event and organizing merchandise.
This is the hum of 180 members producing the Cornell Fashion Collective (CFC) spring runway show, a signature event of the Cornell student experience. The 41st annual show is on March 22 in Barton Hall; doors open at 6 p.m., and the show begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 general admission, $25 friends and family; VIP tickets are already sold out.
The student leaders of CFC made it their goal this year to enhance synergy across their creative, finance, management and runway teams. The student organization is advised by Kim Phoenix '12, M.A. '18, senior lecturer in the Department of Human Centered Design, in the College of Human Ecology (CHE), and includes many fashion design and management majors, but CFC membership spans every college at Cornell.
Mattie Nguyen '25 works on his designs.
"Julia (Roos '25) and I are excited about this show. We've been involved in CFC throughout our time here," said Mattie Nguyen '25, CFC co-president along with Roos. "We're excited to leverage our experiences to build upon the show's past success and make this year super fun for the audience and for our members too."
The co-presidents chose not to give the show an overall theme this year to offer the 56 designers more creative freedom.
Level 1 designers - typically first-year students who design one piece as opposed to an entire line, which the more experienced designers do - were prompted to design in all white. Forcing creativity through constraint encourages designers to think outside of the box. Audience members will see an array of silhouettes and textures on the runway.
Maia Hirsch '25, a mechanical engineering major, used her robotics skills to design a dress with tiers that move when touched, like flower petals opening to the sun.
In contrast, level 2 designers, who present two looks, are free of constraints.
"As a level 2 last year, I realized that you are trying to discover who you are as a designer and what inspires you," said Maria Fernanda Serra Almeida Leite '25, creative director. "I chose to forego a theme at level 2 to provide more freedom for self-discovery."
Kate Stiens '27 made two zero-waste garments inspired by writing a trend report in Fashion Product Management (FSAD 2310) that highlights Gen-Z's willingness to pay more for sustainable clothing and products. She uses fashion draping, a technique where the textile is draped on a dress form, to make gowns without the traditional waste of sketch, prototype, cut and sew.
Isabella Rovetti '27 makes adjustments to one of her designs.
Levels 3 and 4 designers, typically juniors and seniors, will show collections ranging from four to six and six to 10 pieces, respectively. Their collections express themes including sustainability, anthropology, religion and culture.
"Cornell's interdisciplinarity is unique for a fashion program, and it is why I wanted to come here," Leite said. "It's so important for us to think critically on other subjects, to be exposed to people who think differently from us, and this influences how we design."
Using surface design to manipulate fibers, Nik Martin '25's collection, "Self Sutures," is an autobiographical journey intersecting identity, trauma and religion while celebrating the body's ability to heal.
Meticulously tailored streetwear designed by Eliot Lee '26 offers unexpected twists, including a nod to his Korean heritage and "shants" that can be worn as a shirt or pants.
Zada Stuart '25 explores the veneration and exploitation of cows, drawing parallels to the human experience and the overturning of Roe v. Wade and other abortion bans. She uses locally sourced objects including sheep's wool donated from a Newfield farm and oyster shells from an Ithaca restaurant to challenge global fashion through slow production.
Designers who participate in the show will also be featured on Instagram and in a portfolio-worthy lookbook. Operations team members also gain valuable skills.
"I definitely brought up CFC a lot in my [job] interviews," said Roos, a fashion design management major who will start in her position as an operations transformation consulting associate with PwC later this year. "I've strengthened my communication skills but also learned how to be a leader with confidence and empathy. As co-president, I hope that we are giving every club member the resources to be successful."
Marisa LaFalce is a communications assistant for the College of Human Ecology.
