Press release:
Last fall, when the fashion students at Genesee Community College selected "Ebullition" as the theme of the College's annual Fashion Show they had no idea how ironically appropriate the term would become as they planned and developed the 39th annual show.
Defined as eruption of emotion, an overflowing or outburst of passion or feeling, the student producers of "Ebullition" started with excitement, intrigue and an eagerness to express the theme in their fashion designs.
Then many became angry, sad and disappointed, and now their frustrations and creative vision are tempered by hard work as they learn and adopt new tools -- for the show must go on -- virtually.
GCC's Fashion Program students will present Ebullition 39th Annual Fashion Show in a freshly designed "show" debuting online as a comprehensive website GCCFashionShow.com featuring photos, music, scene narratives developed by each coordinator, and a description of their creative journey during the global COVID-19 pandemic.
There will also be biographical sketches of each scene coordinator, professional portraits, and highlights of their future aspirations. The website will go live on May 2, 2020 at exactly 6 p.m. marking what would have been the beginning of the live, professionally produced show had not the Coronavirus Pandemic and social distancing caused its cancellation.
One clear advantage of the new web-based "Ebullition" is that viewing the show is FREE and will be available worldwide to anyone, on any electronic device that has internet access.
Earlier in the semester, Japanese student Yuuka Sano proposed "Ebullition!" to her classmates and through a democratic process, her creative vision was selected as this year's theme. Yuuka suggested each scene connect to authentic emotions consistent with Japanese "ki do ai raku," which translates in English to happiness, anger, sadness and joy.
These four emotions were to be reflected in garment selections using specific color palettes, textures, style, accessories, music, and even places in the world or the obvious mood and motion of the models.
Students are now attempting to shift much of their vision off the runway to a digital platform, and while they continue to have weekly classes online with Laura Taylor, GCC's instructor of Fashion Merchandising Management, many no longer have sewing machines and are now working from their homes from as faraway as Tokyo.
They are using family members as their models, cell phones for photography and video, and finding items from their own closets and bedrooms to complement their creative vision.
"The past two months have been an incredible roller coaster for them, making the "Ebullition" theme so very appropriate," Taylor said. "This is their capstone project and their final grades depend on their efforts to successfully continue on with the show.
"While we have needed to change many aspects of the program and make some obvious compromises, creativity is still flowing, hard work is still happening, and there is a new sense of camaraderie and 'we are in this together.' The positive mindset and grit the students are exhibiting while in this unique circumstance demonstrate they are ready to overcome the many sourcing and design obstacles in the fashion industry."
Under each major "ki do ai raku" emotion, the following scenes will be presented:
Representing HAPPINESS (ki) will be:
- "Enthusiasm" -- Showing enthusiasm, by Manami Horikawa
- "Gaiety" -- Depicting the state or quality of being lighthearted or cheerful, by Chie Kai
- "Delight" -- Representing great pleasure, by Gaoquan Cui, aka "GQ"
Representing ANGER (do) will be:
- "Rebellion" -- The action or process of resisting authority, control, or convention, by Alexis Remington
- "Indignation" -- Illuminates anger or annoyance provoked by what is perceived as unfair treatment, by Nicole Ortiz
Representing SADNESS (ai) will be:
- "Sonder" -- The profound feeling of realizing that everyone, including strangers passed in the street, have a life as complex as one's own, which they are constantly living despite one's personal lack of awareness of it, by Kim Truesdell
- "Dejection" -- Shows a sad and depressed state, by Yuuka Sano
- "Sorrow" -- Portrays a feeling of deep distress caused by loss, disappointment, or other misfortune suffered by one's self or others, by Olivia Kohorst
The final piece of "ki do ai raku" will represent JOY (raku) through:
- "Elation" -- Eliciting a feeling or state of great joy or pride, by Marissa Conte
- "Entranced" -- Filling one with wonder and delight, holding their entire attention, by Rebecca Siglin
- "Euphoria" -- Shows a feeling or state of intense excitement and happiness, by Jessica Piper
"This year's students are rising to the challenge of preparing some truly fantastic designs under a unique theme," Taylor said. "They have had to rethink their vision and retrofit their work for a computer website instead of a live stage. I really hope the worldwide community will visit our 'Ebullition' site, read the student experiences, and share feedback and words of encouragement."
The Fashion Program students at GCC wish to thank everyone who had purchased tickets to attend "Ebullition." All ticket purchases have been refunded. Questions regarding this process should be directed to Laura Taylor at: ljtaylor@genesee.edu
Links from GCC's website, www.genesee.edu will provide easy access to "Ebullition" website with additional access points from the College's Facebook page @sunygcc.
The GCC fashion students are among many who have transitioned to remote, online learning to continue their studies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under the #SUNYTogether mantra and hashtag, faculty, tutors and many other support staff are helping students embrace online learning technology, and climb an additional learning curve that features a panoply of Zoom lectures, remote labs and assignments -- a decidedly modern twist to the adage, "The show must go on!"
