Senior Maggie Millon shows her embroidered tank top. 
Senior Maggie Millon models the pants she made out of bean sacks. 
Senior Maggie Millon models her “Bada bean, bada boom” pants. 
Senior Maggie Millon models her fabulous red corduroy outfit. 
Senior Lily Visceglia shows some of her designs.
Western Wayne Fashion students created their first-ever virtual fashion show this year, appropriately themed “Do What You Can.”
In the words of Bon Jovi from the song “Do What You Can” which he wrote with some help from his fans to inspire others to carry on during the pandemic: “If you can’t do what you do, do what you can.”
Colleen Carmody, show director and fashion teacher, said she thought the song made for perfect inspiration for the theme of this year’s fashion show that is much different from the Catwalk fashion show that is usually put on, but needed to be done in a new way due to COVID-19.
“This year’s fashion show is dedicated to a year of challenge, perseverance, and change for all of us both teacher and student,” Carmody noted. “Through equipment and supply exchanges, adjustments in schedules, and cameras, we made it.”
Students in grades 9 through 12 had their pieces featured in the show. The Introduction to Sewing class had featured purses, bulletin board research projects, and visual design projects. The Textile and Design classes modeled pajamas, skirts, and bags. While the Fashion and Design class showed bucket hats, skirts, dresses, and jackets in the show.
Senior Maggie Millon was the only four-year fashion student in the show this year.
Millon started sewing in 8th grade after going to an after-school art club where other students were creating sewing and fashion projects. She just knew she wanted to get involved in the fun after seeing upperclassmen at Western Wayne doing it.
Maggie’s senior fashion collection is titled “Golden Rosebud of the 70s”.
“My middle name is Rose, and my dad calls me Rosebud, so I just took my inspiration from there,” Maggie explained. “Of course, I also am very inspired by fashions from the 1970s era.”
She has a number of beautifully designed pieces in her senior collection. One is a tank top with paint and embroidery. The tank top has the classic Beatles’ song lyric “Here comes the sun,” a song lyric from a modern band called AURORA that is “Drinking your eyes” from their song called “The River” along with a Hindu symbol that means peace embroidered on it. She also has a stunning red outfit made of corduroy–this ensemble is her favorite. It includes a fashionable blazer with snakeskin lining and bell bottom pants. In addition, she has some funky pants made from bean sacks that appropriately have lettering that says “Bada bean, bada boom.”
Maggie is pleased with all the pieces in her collection and feels so happy to share them with the school and the community through the fashion video.
In addition to working on her senior collection this year, Maggie also completed her senior project which also involved sewing in a unique way.
Maggie made about 20 dresses out of recycled pillowcases for Little Dresses for Africa, a non-profit 501c3 Christian organization. She spent time gathering pillowcases from the community and especially liked the beautiful pillow cases she got from some older women she knew in Wayne and Lake Ariel.
She then shipped the dresses to the organization and is thrilled that girls in Africa have gotten to wear them.
“I really like to help people,” Maggie explained.
She hopes to make more dresses for Little Dresses for Africa after graduation.
Maggie had a lot of fun in her fashion and design classes throughout high school. She especially enjoyed working with her teacher Colleen Carmody on fashion projects through the years. Maggie is considering pursuing a career that involves design or art in some way in the future.
“I like being able to put pieces of myself into whatever I make,” Maggie explained. “I can take a basic pattern and make it my own through creativity. I am inspired by past fashion and use old movies for reference as well.”
Fellow senior Lily Visceglia has done fashion and design classes at Western Wayne for the past three years.
She also had a variety of pieces in the fashion video.
One is an up-cycle denim outfit with a cheetah bell sleeve. She also had a bucket hat in the show along with a cardigan with a butterfly and ladybug print. In addition, she had a green suede skirt.
Lily plans to attend Wilkes University in the fall to study early childhood education with a minor in the arts. Lily loves many fields in the arts including fashion design, band, and musical theater. She hopes as a teacher of young children that she can incorporate all of her passions into her career.
“I like making my own designs,” Lily explained. “When I put it on paper and see it, I feel accomplished. The creation process can be difficult, but the end product is always great.”
Western Wayne administration and staff congratulate the students on their fashion video that was made in a year of uncertainty and many challenges. These students truly did what they could for the “Do What You Can” fashion show, and they exceeded all expectations. The district looks forward to their annual Catwalk Fashion Show next year.
