A sold-out crowd of more than 800 people came to the Kent State Student Center Ballroom on Saturday night for the Hard Hats and Heels fashion show. The show was a collaboration between students in the Shannon Rodgers and Jerry Silverman School of Fashion Design and Merchandising and Habitat for Humanity of Portage County.Fashion design professor Barbara Rhodes said students produced handmade garments from recycled materials and purchases from Habitat’s ReStore. Katie Carter and Daniel Graska greeted guests at the event, which was hosted by the Kent State Habitat for Humanity. Ryan Carr said students in the Kent State chapter work with the Portage County nonprofit in building and remodeling homes.Like the scene from Gone With the Wind, when Scarlett O’Hara made a gown out of drapes, these innovative students used wallpaper, curtains, drapes, place mats, lampshades, door handles, and nuts and bolts to make wearable fashions.Behind the scenes, Leah Foster and Jada Stoudemire waited to model. “I’m a finance major,” Foster said, “so I had no idea the number of fittings this took.” Tremica Odom said the fittings were easy since she and her designer, Keama Garrett, are roommates. Tom and Cathy Poremba said they came to see their niece Jessica Poremba model.Each design had a story behind it. Hannah Bartch said designer Laura Brewster used donated flowers from the ReStore for her skirt, while Michaela Neu said designer Shiyae Peng used curtains from Goodwill. Veronica
Stodolnik said designer Mary Faysich used lampshades and place mats for her outfit. Tyler Dodley said designer Shaneka Turner went through trash cans to find bolts for his belt. Kate Hatker used Capri Sun drink pouches in her design, modeled by Taylor Christy. Julia Roden was inspired by The Great Gatsby in designing her flapper dress from recycled straws and feathers, modeled by Laura Kottke.Jackson McGreevy, president of the Kent State Habitat for Humanity, welcomed everyone and introduced professor Sherry Nagy, who was commentator for the show. Jennifer Fagert, Lydia Hoppman, Katelyn McClain and Portage County Municipal Judge Barbara Oswick had the difficult task of choosing the winning designs.First-place winner Ellen Freeborn cut up old T-shirts and wove them on a cardboard loom to make fabric for Controlled Chaos, worn by Taylor Shiley. Second-place winner Kaitlynn Fenstermaker was inspired by Vogue Magazine for her design, modeled by Julia Titus. Both winners received sewing machines donated by Vince Quevedo, associate professor of fashion design. Rounding out the top 10 were designers Donovan Pikus, Kate Hatker, Kevin Moran, Kimberly Geither, Laura Brewster, Shiyae Peng, Daniel Flading and Roden.