From SLCC to Runway, Alum Shows Off New Designs in Canada
Salt Lake City, UT (PRWEB) April 01, 2014 -- March 2014 was a pretty big month for fashion designer and Salt Lake Community College alum Sophie Karen, who premiered a new line of her designs at the international Vancouver Fashion Week.
Karen, her “stage” name, is the lead designer and creative director for the Seattle-based independent fashion house Dawson & Deveraux, specializing in women’s apparel and accessories for the “modern woman.” Karen’s given last name is Dawson. Her work is described as edgy and elegant, timeless and trendy. She appeared in the biannual Vancouver Fashion Week, in its seventh year, along with established and emerging designers in what organizers describe as the “fastest-growing” fashion week in the world. More than 50 designers showed off creations for six days in front over 20,000 guests.
“I have been working toward showcasing my talent for some time,” Karen said. “I have had to juggle my personal achievements with my professional aspirations, and it hasn’t always been easy. Luckily I have an incredible family that has supported me every step of the way. The moment that my collection hit that runway, it made all the tears, long hours, and stress fade away … pure bliss.”
Karen attended SLCC from summer 2011 to fall 2013, earning an associate degree in Technical Apparel. She credits instructors Eugene Tachinni and Rachael Domingo with having an “amazing” impact on her early studies. The collection that hit the runway in Vancouver was titled, “I’inédit,” a French term that means “the unknown” and “innovation,” which Karen said personifies her as a designer. She said the designs blended romance, strength and multiculturalism with classic silhouettes and styles with her own “twist.”
Since appearing in Vancouver, Karen said she has been asked to show her designs at fashion shows in Beijing and Vienna and for high-profile stylists. She has also been working on getting those designs to the retail market and on creating new pieces for a Spring 2015 collection.
Stephen Speckman, Salt Lake Community College, +1 (801) 957-5076, [email protected]
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