Senior fashion designers to showcase collections

IU senior fashion design students Casey Heck and Kate Murphy will be presenting their own free fashion show at 7 p.m Saturday in an unconventional location — the Cassady Electrical Company.

Heck, who hails from Lebanon, Ind., said her collection, named “Weathered Beauty,” is inspired by old weathered barns.

“Coming from a rural small town, those kinds of things are everywhere,” she said.

During her childhood, Heck’s mother lived in an old barn from the 1930s. Five years ago, when the old barn was torn down, Heck’s father took a black-and-white photograph of it that has been wedged in Heck’s mind ever since.

“Some people see them as ugly and decomposing, but I find them beautiful and inspirational in terms of design,” she said.

Heck said the wood paneling and geometric design of the barn is present in the construction of her garments. A green military-styled jacket and many other pieces include redesigned copper scrap metal that she made with her dad. Her line features 17 ensembles with four subgroups, each having a main fabric color: crimson, gated gray, moss green, and black and white — in connection to her father’s photograph.
In her junior year, she took a corset course with Margaret Fette, fashion design visiting lecturer, and said she fell in love with the garment — so she included some in her collection.

Fette said Heck is a determined designer.

“She’s willing to put in the work and go back and do it if it does not live up to my expectations or hers,” Fette said.

She said seeing her students make it to an advanced level is really fun.

“When they really have the passion for it, the sky’s the limit,” Fette said. “There is really amazing stuff coming out of this department right now.”

Heck said doing the show with Murphy was a no-brainer, because they are best friends.

“Our inspirations aren’t similar, but the design style is, so the lines still look good together,” she said.

Murphy’s collection, titled “Constructed Construction,” features 25 garments with 17 walks, including skirts and pants with decorative pockets and vests with detailed zippers and corsets.

Before entering the Individualized Major Program, Murphy had never taken a sewing lesson. Now she spends 20 hours a week hemming at the IU Opera and Ballet Theater costume shop and 10 hours helping as a teaching assistant for a draping course.

Murphy said in her first semester in the Individualized Major Program, she spent four to 10 hours per week sewing but now she spends 20 hours. She began creating her line last year, beginning with design, then sketching, patterning and finally constructing.

“In the real world I wouldn’t have all that time because the labor is divided up in the workroom, but here you are all alone,” Murphy said.

Originally Murphy did not have an inspiration for her collection, but after researching possible topics, she decided on the theme of straightjackets to bring together a cohesive collection.

Don’t be confused, though. Murphy’s collection does not just consist of models in straightjackets walking down the runway; it is the visual idea of wrapping around the body and the usage of buckles or zippers that Murphy took away from her inspiration.
Unlike Heck, Murphy only used one color in her whole line — cream. Her use of herringbone, basket weaving and other textures allowed her to work on her knowledge of fabric.

“It was a way to make the line unified and focus on the type of fabric I used,” she said.

Murphy and Heck said they are both excited for everyone to see their hard work.

“Everyone has heard us vent and talk about it, but no one has actually seen the designs on models on a runway, so I am anxious because I’ve never done anything like this before,” Heck said.