By Jackson Clark
Samford’s School of the Arts is spotlighting global collaboration this past weekend through a partnership that blends traditional textiles with student design and invites participants from across campus into the creative process.
The “Modern Kimono Fashion Show” was on Sunday, April 12, at the Alys Robinson Stephens Performing Arts Center, featuring original garments designed, constructed and modeled by students using authentic kimono fabrics from Japan.
In total, about 30 students contributed designs, 15 constructed garments and another 30 modeled the finished pieces, with many students taking on multiple roles.
Hosted in collaboration with the Tokyo-based Matsuno-Mori Initiative, the project challenges students to merge cultural influence with personal style. They also had to work within strict material and design guidelines.
“We’ve gotten to design American-style outfits with Japanese influence and using only their fabrics,” said Mallory Hubbard, a senior Technical Theatre Major with a concentration in costume design.
Hubbard said her initial concepts drew from historical silhouettes, but the process evolved after receiving guidance from visiting collaborators from Japan.
“We realized that we had stricter guidelines on length and what they wanted for modesty,” she said. “We’ve kind of adjusted to their guidelines but also kept our own ideas.”
Despite those constraints, students found ways to make each piece distinct.
“We’re trying to have nice, elegant pieces, but also have whimsical parts, so a lot of them have a lot of layers,” Hubbard said.
For some students, the project also meant stepping outside their primary discipline. Trinity Coblentz, a studio art major, approached the experience from a 2D perspective, with limited background in garment construction.
“My process was definitely different from a lot of my peers,” Coblentz said. “I love to draw, so my experience is mainly with 2D art. This was my first time fully creating a garment from scratch.”
Coblentz relied on guidance from her professor, Mary Gurney, while learning technical skills like using a sewing machine, working with patterns and operating a serger.
“Every time I hit a problem I couldn’t solve, Professor Gurney would step in and provide a solution I’d never thought of,” she said.
While construction presented a steep learning curve, designing came more naturally. “I sketched a bunch of different designs and came up with what would be the final product,” Coblentz said.
Drawing inspiration from Pinterest and her personal style, she aimed to create something “elegant and almost princess-y.”
Freshman costume design major Camille Lucas also let inspiration guide her process.
“I didn’t make designs until I saw the fabric,” Lucas said. “I picked out my fabric, and I kind of [let] it guide me.”
Beyond the technical work, students emphasized the collaborative environment the project created.
Junior Theatre for Youth major, Hillary Cunningham, noted how the experience brought together students who might not otherwise work alongside each other. “We’ve met so many people in this project that we hadn’t met before, it’s sweet,” she said.
The show itself featured more than just fashion. According to a promotional email from Japanese Outreach Initiative coordinator Eri Taguchi, the event included a live opening performance with tap, shamisen and marimba, as well as a lobby exhibition of traditional kimonos. All proceeds went towards the Birmingham Sister City Commission.
As students prepared to debut their work, the garments represented something bigger than a school project. They reflected a process of learning, collaboration and cultural exchange, stitched together one piece at a time.
