Students, faculty and alumni from Kent State University’s world-renowned School of Fashion sent some of their most exciting designs down the runway on Feb. 8 in Haute for the House, a fashion show benefitting Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Ohio.
The fashion school partnered with the nonprofit for a show curated and produced by Kent State students, faculty and staff. The event took place at the InterContinental Hotel Cleveland.
“The success of tonight’s Haute for the House benefit is a testament to the power of collaboration and shared vision. Kent State’s School of Fashion and Ronald McDonald House Charities came together on the runway with a common goal of a brighter future for our community,” said Diane H. Petrella, dean of the College of the Arts.
Hillary Stone, professor, industry liaison and internship director for the fashion school, and Millicent Ott, industry liaison and internship manager for the school, worked with Ronald McDonald House Charities to organize the event, which was attended by more than 225 people.
Trista Grieder, senior lecturer and study-away coordinator for the fashion school, was part of the driving force behind getting Kent State and the Ronald McDonald House Charities together for the event.
Grieder is friends with Aristea Tzouloufis, chief development officer for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Ohio, who previously had worked for Kent State’s School of Fashion.
“Aristea had asked us to show some pieces in the show last year, and then as we were talking and brainstorming, I suggested that she do a Kent State-only show of our students’ and faculty’s work because that was something you can’t see anywhere else,” Grieder said.
Stone said she was particularly excited about the stewardship angle of the event, teaching Kent State students the importance of giving back to the community.
“I think it is important to have a show of gratitude and giving, and making a difference for children and their families,” Stone said.
Daniella Byrnes and Mackenzie Karsten, both senior fashion merchandising majors, were selected as the student co-producers for the show. The pair also are the student producers for the school’s upcoming annual fashion show, which takes place on April 27. Several fashion school faculty members also will have their work on display at the Cleveland event.
The show featured the work of 16 fashion students, ranging from freshmen to graduate level, as well as 2023 alumna Wendy Weng, who represented Kent State in the 2023 Supima Design Competition in New York. Weng’s collection was inspired by nature and its ability to destroy and regenerate life.
Several fashion school faculty members also had their work on display at the event.
Grieder, a costume specialist, was showing a historical jade green gown she created for novelist Diana Dempsey, who wanted a dress created to match one worn by the heroine in her novel “The Unstoppable Eliza Haycraft.”
Krissi Riewe-Stevenson, assistant professor of fashion, displayed a dress entitled “Recycled Garden” made entirely from scraps, recycled materials and leftover fabrics. Other fashion faculty members whose work was on display included Associate Professor Vince Quevedo; Associate Professor Sue Yoder; Kim Hahn, Ph.D., interim associate dean of the College of the Arts; and lecturer David Hahn.
Attendees also voted on their favorite designs, granting one deserving Kent State fashion design student a $1,000 scholarship for their winning look.
The event benefitted Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Ohio, which operates Ronald McDonald House and hospital family room programs to help families stay near the care their sick or injured children while hospitalized.