By Jennifer Glickel
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
CHELSEA — Twenty-two of the Pratt Institute’s most talented fashion students got the ultimate graduation gift on Thursday: their very own fashion show.
The 2010 Pratt Institute Fashion Show in Chelsea was the culmination of four years of hard work for the students, who were selected by a panel of fashion industry experts last month.
“I couldn’t even contain myself watching the show,” said 22-year-old fashion student Tim Kuzmeski. “I’ve seen my designs in photo shoots, but to see them walking and moving was unbelievable.”
The student designers will graduate from Pratt on Monday after months of sleepless nights preparing their collections, which serve as their final theses.
“It was a ton of work, but my collection is really ‘me,’ so I couldn’t be prouder,” said senior Julie Mollo, who has designed clothing for singer Katy Perry.
“Seeing my collection on the runway made all the work worth it. It was an incredible feeling,” she added.
The student designers presented their collections in four garment categories, including sportswear, menswear, costume, and evening and bridal.
While many of the graduating seniors hope to make it in the fashion industry, some, like Lina Fedirko, plan to pursue a career in a fashion-related field, but not necessarily as a designer.
“I want to consult for green fashion companies,” said Fedirko, whose runway show collection, which she describes as “luxury eco-fashion,” was entirely sustainable.
“If that means I wind up designing some clothes, then I will. But I’m really most interested in a forward–thinking, eco-friendly approach to the industry.”
Fedirko will spend the next two years getting her Master’s degree in urban policy and sustainable management at the New School.
