By Angela Chen, Chloe Mau, Susan Yang, Staff Writers
The Apparel Design Club, founded by junior Madina Azizi and senior Julia Wojtkowski last spring, focuses on the 2D aspect of fashion design and currently meets every Wednesday from 3:30p.m. to 4:15p.m.. However, the leaders have expressed that they are working to make meetings bimonthly instead in order to reduce screen time for all members. As a club that aims to dive deep into the various components of the fashion industry, they seek and encourage passionate, stylish, and trendy fashion lovers to join.
Madina explained, “Rather than make physical clothing, we focus on the process behind designing an outfit: the process of putting pencil on paper (or stylus on device) and bringing artistic thoughts to life in the form of an outfit drawn on a figure.” Apparel Design members participate in various activities such as creating designs, reviewing each other’s designs, discussing each month’s fashion theme, and playing Jeopardy.
Julia added on, “The main purpose of the club is, of course, to connect students in their love of fashion and create an environment promoting fun discussions and growth, which is all the more important during remote learning.” She shared that she felt the need to create this club as an alternative to clothing drives or in-person shows to satisfy the numerous members who “came in eager to learn to draw fashion pieces.”
Inspired by the designs and visuals of a Netflix reality show, Madina decided to create the club with Julia. Madina expressed, “I first got the idea for this club at my cousin’s house. She was watching a show on Netflix called Next in Fashion, and I thought it was pretty interesting… Next in Fashion made me realize that something fashion-design related would be great as a club, and… that I want to start a small clothing line in the future.” After communicating this idea to Julia, she immediately agreed, explaining that she “saw it as something that wasn’t already present in our school”, and would be perfect for creating an “amazing atmosphere of growth and inclusivity, as the club discusses numerous fashion styles and teaches the historic aspect to current fashion trends.”
A typical club meeting encourages facets of creativity, competition, and excitement. Madina explained, “A usual club meeting would start off with a 2D fashion show; prior to the meeting, club members submit their designs in which they responded to the previous week’s drawing prompt. From there, all club members use a rubric with different artistic criteria that are each scored on a scale of 1 to 10 to give each design a score.”
Club members also have the chance to engage in the club’s own recreation of Jeopardy. “In some meetings, we learn about the month’s fashion theme and fashion icon, information that is used later in the semester in Jeopardy: Apparel Design Edition,” said Madina. With the pandemic, the club continues to explore ways to express their love and appeal for design with the Harrisites.
Freshman Annie Wang, a member of the club, commented, “I definitely enjoy going, I love fashion and I’m glad to be in a club with people who also love fashion; it’s been pretty good everyone has been welcoming.” Sophomore Zoe Chen added, “I decided to join the club because I wanted to learn more about fashion, and I like to draw, so I thought it would be a fun club to join.”
Image from Pixabay
