It takes boldness and creativity to transform fashion statements into serious works of art, but some students have taken this step towards working professionally with Cal High’s Fashion & Design.
Like many other intro classes at Cal, it offers a variety of options that help students explore their creative side and learn more about the industry.
“I kind of act like the model or the person we are drawing is me, I would draw stuff that I would personally like and am okay with going out of my comfort zone,” junior Alina Munir said.
Creating bonds and making connections with new people can be tough, but it thrives within this classroom.
“Everybody was really welcoming, and I could tell there [were] a lot of creative people in there,” junior Aneesha Reddy said. “The teacher is super nice too.”
Fashion & Design teacher Shanin McKavish said that she tailors her curriculum to her students’ interests and what they hope to learn.
“I like to know what students want out of the class so I can create a class that meets their desires,” McKavish said.
One of McKavish’s favorite projects is “The book project,” where students get to create an article of clothing, made entirely out of pages from a book. She particularly loves seeing students in their element as their eyes light up with creativity.
Her students also enjoy how relaxed the class is since there aren’t many strict deadlines and students can have fun with assignments at their own pace.
“I really enjoy it because she tends to make [Fashion & Design] really stress free, which is something that you really need every day,” Reddy said.
Munir added, “I like the class; I can’t wait to get more hands-on activities.”
The class also looks at emerging fashion trends such as flared jeans, cargo pants, and more from past decades that have been innovated into something new.
For more background information of the decades of different fashion, McKavish assigns a special project looking at the evolution of our world’s fashion since the early 1900s.
In the end, it really depends on what best suits each student and how they would like to be perceived.
“I try to make it centered around them,” McKavish said.
Either way, the class brings a new perspective on academics compared to the usual courses.
“I get to be creative and I get to see the students’ creativity, which I love,” McKavish said. “They’re inspiring [when] watching the students be creative and produce amazing work with incredibly talented students on this campus.”