Written by Marissa Brown
This year, Brenau Fashion Network participated in educational and exciting events that included attending shows at AmericasMart and chatting with some of Gainesville’s most successful fashion influencers such as Dario Perla and Liz Webber.
Brenau Fashion Network members sat down in February with Dario Perla, who customizes men’s luxury suits at offices in Atlanta and Gainesville. Perla spoke about his inspiration behind starting his own clothier business and gave the members a tour of his 1930s-styled office. Perla’s office stays true to his Cary Grant aesthetic, which solidifies his personal branding. Furthermore, he provided an excellent experience for members by teaching them the importance of personal branding and even demonstrated some of his daily tasks as a clothier such as picking out thread colors, measuring customers for suits and exhibiting good hospitality.
When the members weren’t taking field trips to Americasmart or local stores in Gainesville such as Garment and Grace Boutique, they were busy preparing for two exciting fashion events.
On March 22-23, BFN hosted a spring cleaning pop-up shop. They welcomed anyone at Brenau University to dig up their old clothes and bring them to the Leo Castelli Gallery to sale. This event was a fantastic opportunity for students to explore the styles of their peers and find some hidden gems for a low price. Also by shopping at the pop-up shop, visitors helped to eliminate added clothing waste to the environment.
To wrap up the year, BFN hosted a fashion show on April 13 at Pearce Auditorium. The fashion design students showcased their fashion designs, and the fashion merchandising students produced a trend research fashion show. The show was followed by the opening reception for The Brenau Collaborative exhibitions featuring work by art and design students.
