Senior shows fashion with photography

A little girl stood on the ice, ready to skate across the arena and perform in front of the audience. What this little girl was showing off, besides her talent in the rink, was her outfit. \nWhen she was young, fifth-year senior Lauren Feldman designed her own skating outfits.\n"I used to just play with fabrics and do it for fun," she said. "But then I got compliments and people began asking me to design their outfits."\nAs she became more competitive in the sport of ice skating, she began to design outfits for her synchronized skating team and for herself.\n"The more compliments I received the more I thought, 'Hey, maybe I can do this,'" Feldman said. \nNow, as a fashion design student, she showcases her designs for her final project this Sunday at the Tutto Bene Café.\nThough many fashion design majors present their work in runway modeling shows, Feldman drew upon her interest in magazine photography. She will be exhibiting her work in this unique format.\nFrom noon until 3 p.m., Feldman's work will be on display for free. The photographs of her designs are courtesy of Jason Gaskins. She will have three models who will also be wearing some of her clothing so attendees can experience the textures of the materials.\nOn Saturday, Feldman pulled out sketches she has been working on that displayed a wide array of her different designs, colors and placements.\nFeldman's favorite design is a classy beige suit. \n"It's an ensemble that you can wear to work, but there is also the blouse that's a bit see-through," she said. "So you can wear it with a jacket. The outfit cinches at the waist, (which) provides an hourglass-like figure."\nFeldman describes her work as catering to the high-fashion, advertising-career type in her 20s, 30s, 40s.\n"It's a contradiction between masculine and feminine and being in control of life," Feldman said about her clothing. "A lot of the clothes are sexier than what men wear to work. Women should be able to be able to dress when and how they want to."\nShe is interested in designing men's clothing as well, and she works at Sullivan's Fashions for Men in Bloomington.\nFeldman said she gets her inspiration from Katherine Hepburn and silhouettes from the actress' time period. She is also influenced by her study-abroad experience last year in Italy.\n"I learned a lot more drawing skills and explored different ways of looking at fashion," she said.\nFeldman said she drafts the patterns of all of her clothing herself and funds her own projects, though her father, who lives in California, sometimes offers a helping hand.\n"My dad works for a clothing company, so I was very fortunate. Because when he took a trip to China, he brought back a lot of wool that I could use," she said. "I wouldn't be able to do it without that resource." \nYears from now, Feldman hopes her work stands out in the crowded fashion industry. \n"I always knew I needed a career in doing something every day that's different," Feldman said.\nFeldman said she hopes people will come to her unveiling and experience fashion in a different way.\n"Everything comes from inspiration," Feldman said of her fashion. "For me, when I was little it was through skating. It's a process of doing research and seeing what works on the human form"