Northport students show off fashion designs
Northport High School students in the fashion design and illustration classes held a fashion show at the Northport Public Library. It was the first time sewing a garment for many of those who participated in the event. (April 23, 2012) Credit: Nicole Bartoline
Long Island’s future fashion designers displayed their work Monday night at “Carnival,” an exhibition hosted by the Northport Public Library.
Students from Northport High School’s fashion design and illustration class put together their annual fashion show for parents and friends to show off everything they’ve learned.
“This is the first dress that I made. I like it a lot and I learned a lot,” said Kayla Hummel, a junior at Northport High School, crediting teacher Robin O’Neill-Gonzalez for her help.
“Mrs. O.G., helps us out so much,” Hummel added. “She comes to the store to buy our fabric for the dresses; she’s just great.”
This is the fourth year the Northport Library has hosted the fashion show. O’Neill-Gonzalez moved the show there after students displayed an interest in having an exhibition for family and friends outside of the high school.
“They wanted to have a format to have their fashion shows that wasn’t in the high school commons,” said O’Neill-Gonzalez. “And the library has been so enthusiastic.”
About 75 people gathered at the library to see the students’ work. There were drawings displayed in the hallway, as well as some dresses on mannequins. The show’s carnival theme was present in the artwork, with many boldly colored and feathered dresses and drawings.
“I was inspired by the birds of Rio,” said junior Jordan Toran. “I wanted to take it and make it Rio carnival.”
Toran, 16, has big dreams of going to college for fashion design. It’s a dream that the art program at Northport High School may help her to achieve.
“This year all my students that applied to FIT [Fashion Institute of Technology] got accepted,” said O’Neill-Gonzalez. “I help them get to where they’ve got to go, support them along the way, so they can get out there and take those risks.”
