Isabella Gonzalez is the Co-President of the FIDM Fashion Club at Manteca High School in Manteca, CA. Her club recently held a fashion show and visited FIDM for a campus tour. We caught up with Isabella to learn more about the show and get her advice for new Fashion Club Presidents stepping into the role for the first time.
How did you first learn about FIDM Fashion Club? The FIDM Fashion Club at my high school would always have the prettiest table and most friendly officers at our Club Rushes. Eventually, during my senior year, my CTE Fashion Merchandising teacher spoke to the class about the fashion club and how she was looking for officers. I then became our FIDM Fashion Club’s Co-President.
Tell us about your recent fashion show. Our recent CTE Fashion Show consisted of many different collections and entertainment. It included performances by a dance group named One Motion and the cast of our high school’s All Shook Up musical. Then, the collections consisted of Target, Maurices, Old Navy, Mini Models, Decades, Formal, Theater, Spirit Wear, Monochromatic, Thrift, Culture, and Denim. Many of our collections were organized by one student with some help from others. They all did an amazing job with the time they had and made every outfit pop on our runaway. The Denim collection has been a lot of people’s favorite since it consisted of a lot of hands-on work from our students. Each student was assigned to take any type of denim clothing/accessories and let their artistic side create an altered denim piece. At our fashion show, we offered VIP tickets for a “VIP experience.” We provided all sorts of foods and goodies in the VIP glam bag. Overall, everything was managed and set up by our CTE Fashion Merchandising students. It took a lot of work and time, but now that it’s over, I wish I could do it all over again.
What was the theme of the fashion show? The message behind our fashion show was unity and sustainable fashion. We included a lot of collections to express the diversities within our school districts and how all of our models came together to represent themselves. Then, in nearly all of our collections, we used secondhand clothing. For example, we had an entire thrift collection where students could only spend up to $40 at a thrift store for three models. These outfits came together and created an overall theme.
What advice do you have for FIDM Fashion Club Presidents stepping into a leadership role for the first time? Always connect with your members. It’s one thing to be in charge of a club that hosts fun meetings, but another to be in charge of something that builds relationships and helps you and your members grow. Along with that, make everyone feel welcome whether they’re a member or not. Your club can impact lives and it’s very important to let others know they can have that opportunity for themselves.
Do you have advice for recruiting club members? My best advice for recruiting members would be to provide fun activities that make people feel interested, which can usually involve a lot of DIY. Along with that, be sure to often promote your club on social media and teach others about what your club is really about. It’s really important to connect with any potential members.
How do you create engaging activities for your club meetings? It’s essential to set up something that’ll have your members interacting with each other. Starting friendships from your club is the most amazing accomplishment you can make as an officer. For example, when my school’s FIDM Fashion Club would have meetings, we would make a lot of the activities group-oriented so people would pair up and socialize.
Who is your fashion icon? Hunter Schafer and her character Jules from Euphoria have recently become my fashion icons. In a way, I feel the way we dress is similar. We both can be in baggy clothes one day and the next wearing a bright and bold dress or skirt.
How would you describe your personal style? My personal style is very fluid. During certain seasons I’ll wear baggy clothes and a puffer jacket, but then when it gets warmer you’ll see me in less “casual” wear. Overall, I’m still experimenting with what style fits me, but I’m open to trying anything.
What was your visit to FIDM like? Visiting the campus gave me more insight into what the fashion industry involves and all the potential opportunities there are besides just designing clothes. My favorite part was looking at the work students created and hearing about the challenges they faced. Learning that the students pulled off beautiful designs in just a limited amount of time is impressive.
Keep up with Manteca High School’s FIDM Fashion Club @fashionclub.mantecahigh.
