CHATHAM — Chatham Academy High School hosted its first fashion show that featured student-designed clothing on Thursday, an event that "changed everything" for some students taking part.
Students modeled their creations from three different categories: pajama wear, dresses and ready to wear.
“It was a great experience, it changed everything. I would never have known that I could model something that a close friend just sewed for me,” said Tatianna Seward, a 19-year-old from Englewood.
The alternative school, 9035 S. Langley Ave., works with students between the ages of 17 and 21. The fashion designing class was first introduced during the 2013-2014 school year
Teacher Rosemary Shepherd, who owns Rosebud Creations at 448 E. 75th Street in Chatham, said the students have been eager learners — most didn't even know the basics of sewing or design.
“They didn’t know the difference between a pin and a needle, and they called thread a string,” said Shepherd, 52.
Last year when she put on the fashion show, there were only three students who modeled clothes Shepherd designed. This year, 14 took part and modeled a mix of their own clothes and Shepherd’s creations. The students showcased the designs in front of an audience of about 75, which included parents and students.
Another student, Tresura Hodo, 21, from Ashburn, said that she has always loved fashion and wanted to design clothes, but didn’t know how. It wasn’t until she took Shepherd’s class that realizing her dream wasn't so out of reach.
Hodo, who is a senior, is also a mother of an eight-month old girl. She said she now wants to start an infant clothing line and open a boutique that offers maternity clothes.
The school’s principal, Lisa Jackson-Williams, said that the course is helpful because it exposes students to real-life training in a field that interests them and could even lead to a job right out of high school.
“Schools aggressively push the academic end of education, but you need to introduce them to the holistic field of learning and that’s not just math, science, English and history,” she said.
“For a lot of our kids, this is their last chance, they’ve had academic problems, attendance problems at their former schools so they come here and by that time mom, dad, grandmother have said, 'Look, this is the last leg, either you’re going to do it or I’m through.'”
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