Inside a Poly Canyon Village dormitory lay pins and needles atop a desk, shards of clothes seemingly flung on the floor and Victoria Garcia’s ambitions to showcase her original collection at the FITS x SFC Fashion Show that took place on May 18.
Victoria Garcia is one of many student designers who displayed their work at Cal Poly’s Fashion, Innovation, Trendsetting and Styling (FITS) club and Sustainable Fashion Club’s (SFC) annual fashion show. Aside from being on the event planning committee for FITS, she is also a sophomore architectural engineering student.
Starting her freshman year, Garcia found herself drawn into the community of FITS whilst attending the CP Drag x FITS x SFC High Tea Valentine’s Drag Show. From there, Garcia told herself this was the place to be.
Last year, Garcia modeled in FITS’ spring photoshoot as well as the third annual fashion show surrounding the theme, “Symbiosis.” The community within the club proved to be exceptional in terms of love for arts, culture and all things fashion.
Being a part of the board this year, Garcia aimed to form a bond between the architecture department and that of FITS.
“We set up a meeting in collaboration with AIAS, one of the architecture clubs here at Cal Poly, in order to get more architecture students involved in the show,” said Garcia.
Cal Poly’s American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) is a student-run organization dedicated to supporting students in their growth within the field of architecture.
Not only has FITS provided a space for Garcia to grow in terms of creativity, but it has also allowed her to intertwine two things she holds passion for most.
“I really think that architecture and fashion go hand-in-hand, which is why I think being in FITS lets me explore the fashion side of my creativity, while also being able to apply my architecture designs,” said Garcia.
This year’s theme for the fashion show was ‘Roots.’ Although a simple term, it was up to the designers to interpret the meaning of the word through self-discovery.
Gaining inspiration from the show’s theme itself, Garcia also wanted to explore her own personal roots, specifically her childhood self. Growing up, Garcia immersed herself in fantasy books, which heavily influenced the title of her collection: “Storybook Languages.”
“I wanted to dive into the roots of a storybook, so I kind of focused on the three main parts of a story,” Garcia said.
The collection narrows into what Garcia believes to be three of the important aspects of a story. The first look is named “the Rose,” aimed to exemplify the romance that occurs in a romance tale. The second design is “the Mirror,” which portrays self-reflection throughout a character’s storyline. The final look is “the Swan,” exploring the characteristics of innocence.
Garcia selected her models carefully, ensuring that each one’s personality would match that of the characters they were to represent.
Only a few days before the show, Garcia invited each of the models for a final fitting – one by one the models crammed into the dorm.
There was no break for Garcia, constantly running back and forth between accessories and each model’s look, determined to highlight each one of their personas. Lace samples and earrings made their rounds from model to model as they tested each one with their final looks.
Blythe Wilson walked the runway as “the Rose,” and is a close friend of Garcia. “I’m so proud and excited for her. Everything looks so good,” Blythe said.
Garcia sourced most of her inspiration from Vivienne Westwood, emulating the confidence each look offers whoever is chosen to wear it.
A majority of Garcia’s work is free-range, not confined by conventional styling or fashion norms, but thriving on fresh perspectives. Her beading and foundational techniques, paired with the reconfiguring of thrifted materials, illustrated this.
Garcia’s work goes beyond the fabric itself; she conveyed a message through each one of her looks, hoping to inspire surrounding individuals to explore the world of style.
