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Models decked in gold-colored armour, fairy wings and chainmail cloaks graced the runway on Goldstein Auditorium’s floor. As if plucked from the Middle Ages and planted on Syracuse University’s campus, the fantasy scene prompted a journey of mystery, magic and meticulous design.

“You’re being sent back to this realm that once was, but you have the ability to truly dream and go beyond what people think of medieval princesses, princes, dragons, knights, castles,” Aidan Turner, Fashion and Design Society vice president, said.

The FADS team shifted into full gear for its fall/winter 2024 show, “Mystical Medieval Realm,” hosted Sunday in Schine Student Center’s Goldstein Auditorium. With over 20 student designers featured, the show pulled inspiration from lore and life of the Middle Ages, incorporating the whimsy of fairies and the nobility of knighthood.

With a desire to elevate the organization this year, FADS creative director Amaya Evans and her peers settled on a Middle Ages-inspired theme. They wanted designers to have the freedom and bandwidth to explore styling beyond their comfort zones. In turn, Evans said this would achieve both a longer runtime for the show and a chance for designers to establish intimacy with the audience.

Isabella Flores | Staff Photographer

A model sashays to the runway’s end wearing a balloon-sleeved top and dark-colored makeup.

“Mystical Medieval Realm” was categorized into light, medium and dark design hues and elements — a concept derived from an early summer “meeting of the minds” between Turner, Evans, president Jada Williams and director of fashion Claire McConnell, Turner said.

Designers were encouraged to build on the theme’s narrative through diverse color palettes and imaginative stories, Evans said. The light collection reflected soft storytelling with pastels. Medium tones, she said, were majestic and a discovery into the unknown, while some dark garments evoked unrelenting passion and anger.

Operatic house music welcomed the evening’s first light looks of soft-colored, delicate materials, like lace, satin and tulle, with some fashioned into graceful trains following each model’s strut.

Isabella Flores | Staff Photographer

Wearing a headdress and bodice, a model looks out into the crowd from the runway while posing.

While medieval times anchored the show, visible in chainmail wimples and structured bodices, some looks were rooted in opulent Byzantine fashion with gold embellishments, while others were reminiscent of Mesopotamian kaunakes.

Faux fur, particoloring and armour, complemented with dainty pleating, captured medium looks. Darks were marked by jingling chainmail, layered raven feathers, combat poses and various dark hues.

Isabella Flores | Staff Photographer

A model poses with hands on her shoulders in a sleeveless white top complete with fur lining.

Jacqueline Pezhman, a sophomore fashion design major, was one of the show’s student designers. Her work, a rich red under-the-sea look complete with a mermaid silhouette and scaly texture, was inspired by her love of the folkloric creature.

“I thought, ‘OK, this is my chance to finally make my childhood dream come true,’” Pezhman said. “I was an evil mermaid for Halloween for three years in a row when I was younger, so I decided that the dark category was where I wanted to go with it.”

Turner said “Mystical Medieval Realm” used creativity to imagine both a new world and interpret the designer’s intent.

Kylie Adedeji, a junior and FADS’s head of graphics, said while the theme seems like it could only be applicable to history, it aligns with current trends.

“Fashion is very circular, trends keep on going and repeating,” Adedeji said. “Now, we’re seeing a lot of chain mail, we’re seeing a lot of corsets, we’re seeing a lot of patterns and textiles that correlate with medieval themes and tie in that Renaissance feel.”

Published on December 9, 2024 at 1:04 am