1. MURFREESBOROMAGAZINE
+
TREND
SETTERS
WORDSMITHS
Poets Gaylord Brewer,
Matthew Brown and
Mark Jackson talk shop
GRAND
EXPERIMENTS
3 STEM programs
that are getting attention
Meet the directors behind the city’s
most original FASHION SHOWS
April 2014
murfreesboromagazine.com
04.14 MM Cover.indd 2 3/27/14 1:11 PM

2. United We Style’s Kara Kemp and MTSU Fashion Show’s
Rick Cottle lead the way for emerging designers.
April is fashion month but also bears all the
promises of new looks and lighter layers for the
season. When this article is published, local artists
and designers will be in full swing preparing for
the city’s most original fashion shows: United We
Style on Saturday, April 5 and the MTSU
Runway Fashion Show Friday, April 11.
While fashion shows abound in our city
throughout the year, what sets these two apart
is the display of original work by student and
professional talent from across Middle Tennessee.
UWS features the work of designers from
Murfreesboro, Nashville, and Franklin, while the
MTSU Fashion Show showcases work created by
students in the university’s Textiles, Merchandising,
and Design (TXMD) program.
Both raise support for excellent causes—United
We Style benefits United Way of Rutherford and
Cannon Counties and Aveda Earth Week, and
proceeds from the MTSU show go back into the
university’s TXMD program—but more than
fashion, and more than philanthropy, the shows
give new talent the opportunity to collaborate
and display their work. Under the leadership of
Kara Kemp and Rick Cottle, respectively, both
shows demonstrate that the local design industry
is sharing its influence within and beyond the city
limits—and that it’s hotter than ever.
Trend
Setters
mm S T Y L E
written by LAURA BETH PAYNE
photographed by VALEISHA KELLY-PEDIGO, VISIONS PHOTOGRAPHY
24 MURFREESBORO | APRIL 2014
04.14 MM 17-32.indd 24 3/26/14 12:48 PM

3. MURFREESBOROMAGAZINE.COM 25
04.14 MM 17-32.indd 25 3/25/14 9:25 AM

4. 28 MURFREESBORO | APRIL 2014
ushing new designers forward is at the heart of the
TXMD Runway Fashion Show.
Since 2007, the show has been an opportunity for freshmen to seniors
show off their skills and flex their individuality artistically—which is exactly
what this year’s director Rick Cottle wants. “The runway show is an oppor-
tunity for MTSU apparel merchandising and design students to showcase
their creativity and the knowledge they acquired during their time in the
TXMD program,” says Cottle.
Cottle’s background might be considered a little unusual for his role in
the show—he’s in textiles engineering, literally, the making of fibers into
fabrics—but he uses his business experience and technical background in
apparel design to support and guide the students in their own leadership
of the show.
His emphasis on real-world learning for students reflects the focus of
MTSU’s TXMD Department as a whole. Having just moved into their
new space in the LRC last year (they were formerly located in the Human
Science Building on Middle Tennessee Boulevard), the program’s seven
faculty and 200 students now work in studios with new sewing and printing
machines and ample storage. It’s here that the students also learn to work
with industry technology such as the new 3D imaging machine, which
takes accurate dimensions of a body without a tape measure, and learn the
business of developing and marketing their own designs.
“It’s exciting to see these students take charge,” says Cottle.
This year’s runway show, entitled “Machines of Motion: A 21st Century
Tribute to Art Deco,” is completely student-produced by merchandising,
modeling, promotion, stage, and budget student committees. Designs are
submitted for casual, formal, and glamour wear (labeled thematically this
year as Ford Model B, Bugatti, and Bentley). Highlights include the senior
collection by students such as Blake-lyn Giles and Steven Lorenz (see side-
bar) as well as designs created by younger classmen, resulting in looks from
25 participants. Each year the show raises funds, which are then invested
back into the show and to provide scholarships.
“Apparel is second only to food as the most important consumer good
in the world,” says Cottle. “In addition to showcasing student work, the
runway show is an opportunity for the TXMD program itself to reach out
to the Tennessee statewide community to show itself as a viable educational
option to prospective students.”
THE UNITED WE STYLE FASHION SHOW will be held
Saturday, April 5. Gateway Village in Murfreesboro, 820 N. Thompson
Lane. Tickets are $50 for VIP admission, $30 for general admission. VIP
hour from 5:30-6:30 p.m.; doors open at 6:30 p.m. for general admission.
To purchase, call 615-893-7303 or visit Yourlocaluw.org/Events.
MACHINES OF MOTION: A 21ST CENTURY TRIBUTE TO
ART DECO will be held at 7 p.m., Friday, April 11 at MTSU’s James
Union Ballroom. Tickets are $50 for VIP Front Row seating, $20 for
general seating. To purchase, contact Rick Cottle at 615-494-8752.
Age: 21
Education:
MTSU’s Textiles Merchandising
and Design program
Been designing since: 2012
Style inspirations:
I’m heavily influenced by archi-
tecture and interesting shapes
and lines. I love looking at
interesting or rare occurrences
in nature. I’m also inspired by
designers such as Alexander
Wang, Christopher Bailey, and
Marc Jacobs.
Awards/honors for design:
Most Involved in FaDS
(Fashion and Design Students)
at MTSU.
Number of years designing
for MTSU Fashion Show:
This will be my first time
showing a collection.
Future aspirations:
I hope to one day be designing
ready-to-wear clothing for men.
I don’t think men have enough
options when it comes to those
wanting to express their style
and I want to change that by
designing interesting pieces.
Some signatures of your
design work: A lot of my work
incorporates color blocking
and architectural style lines. I
like making common clothing
and adding a small twist and/or
edge to it. Leather accents are
commonly found.
People should know:
I wasn’t happy in my original
major and knew that I wanted
something completely differ-
ent. One day it hit me as I was
shopping for shoes. I couldn’t
find a single pair that I liked
and said to myself, “I could
make shoes better than this!” I
soon changed my major and
learned how to sew.
Age: 23
Education:
Middle Tennessee State Univer-
sity with a bachelor’s of science
degree in Apparel Design and a
minor in Studio Art
Year to graduate:
December 2014
Been designing since:
2010
Style inspirations:
Stella McCartney
Future aspirations:
I would like to work for Nike or
Under Armour. I want to design
activewear collections because
I love fitness.
Some signatures of your
design work:
My design work will be shown
at the TXMD Fashion Show dur-
ing the senior showcase in April
2014. The colors are from the
Spring 2014 Pantone [selec-
tion] including radiant orchid
and freesia. I also chose other
colors, which include pink, teal,
and silver. I want to design
women’s activewear for ages 18
to 30. For this collection, I was
inspired by bold and radiant
colors with an accent of black.
The black accent gives my col-
lection a chic, classy, healthy
look. The fabrics are comfort-
able yet trendy.
People should know:
Growing up, I was born as a
hearing baby, but I lost my
hearing at two weeks old. How-
ever my parents taught me that
being deaf is no handicap. I was
raised to be just like everybody
else expecting the same
opportunities. I am not lucky
but I am blessed.
STEVEN LORENZ
Designer for MTSU
Fashion Show
DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT:
BLAKE-LYN GILES
Designer for MTSU
Fashion Show
P
04.14 MM 17-32.indd 28 3/26/14 12:48 PM