by Robyn Coffey

If you’ve ever wondered what a handmade couture belly-dancer would look like, the opportunity is fast approaching. Ruby McNeil’s and Chi-Lai Cherry Yuen’s freshly-started student group At Home Worldwide Fashion Society will hold a fashion show extravaganza on April 30 in the Siragusa Gallery at 162 North State Street.

The plan involves collaborative projects from members of the group, modeled by dancers from SAIC’s Belly-Dancing Group, and will include McNeil’s hand-painted illustrations of the designs. The cooperative aspect of the show is an important part of the founders’ vision for the student group.

“The initiative of our group is to enable the fusion of students who are skilled in the use of different mediums,” explains Yuen, a junior studying Fashion and footwear design. “We would like to bring students from different areas of concentration to work together as groups to bring more design elements and ideas to fashion.”

The two realized that the independent application process required for admission to the Fashion Department might be a deterrent to students with a genuine interest but not enough time or credits. McNeil, a senior working with metals, explains, “We wanted to encourage collaborations between non-fashion students and fashion students. Cherry is actually a fashion student and I am not, so I thought our union was a good foundation for the group. We believe that the group functions for collaborations, but also for non-fashion students seeking an outlet and connection with fashion.”

Projects observed at a recent meeting include sculptural garments made from fuzzy pipe cleaners, and a collections of skirts made from thrift-store T-shirts.

For more information on the group, At Home Worldwide Fashion Society, contact Ruby McNeil or Cherry Yuen.