"BeGiuls" Clothing Embraces Self-Expression in Fashion at recent FLY event.
On March 14th, FLY & FAST of Florence University of the Arts welcomed the public to their second fashion & aperitivo event of the semester. This show’s theme centered on the launch of the store’s new emerging designer, Giuliana Becattini, and her new spring collection entitled "BeGiuls, Be You." She is a Florentine fashion designer who has established two brands, “L’Abito che… Vorrei” and now more recently in 2011, "BeGiuls."
The atmosphere of this collection was popularized as "easy formal." According to Michaela Rynecki, a student of Fashion Retail Management Experiential Learning, this is because of the clothing's versatility, as she explained that some winter collection pieces on display feature reversible sides. Many of Giuliana’s products include these flexible ideals so they can be dressed up or down and worn suitably to the occasion.
Giuliana gave the incredible opportunity of being an attendee to this event, which allowed the mutually beneficial discovery for her to see how guests reacted and unveil herself as the mastermind behind these clothes. When discussing the idea of the welcome gifts, she explained that they were the same patterns as in the collection. The mixed, reversible patterns show how she designs in a personalized sense so the wearer can adjust everything to their liking. She believes a person should be able "joke" with clothes because "they're a part of our lives and so are jokes." Patterns do not have to always match perfectly – stripes can be on one side and checkered print on the other – and a person’s wardrobe should be a quirky and fun experience.
The other course involved with this show was the apparel design class, which was responsible for crafting all of the student design pieces. Similar to the last showcase, these students had three weeks to prepare their designs from sketches to fabric selection to construction. Gaia Poli, their professor, explained that students “learn to work under stress, which makes the presentation at the party a goal and worthwhile celebratory engagement.” The efforts of their process start-to-finish encircled the outside area of the back of the store. Their newly found designer minds were on display along with all of their possible pattern selections hanging above.
Since experiential learning is such a huge component to FLY, the school is notorious for creatively converting classroom spaces for events. This time around, something especially unique took place for the benefit of both guests and students because the collection in the store was having its first live photoshoot. Giuliana voiced that the first picture in her mind when designing these pieces was "a place full of flowers where there was a lady without shoes," reminding her of the concept of freedom. This idea refers to the 70s with the combination of vibrant materials like tulle serving as her childhood in a contemporary context. The designer wanted her life and style to be reflected in her clothes as well as their photographs.
The overall hope of this event was to have a building full of people embracing what it means to "Be You." Fashion is one of the most innovative outlets to use for self-expression and leaves open room for whether or not it provides the definition of the self. The "BeGiuls" brand and team wants people to make their own decision and incorporate a part of themselves in their everyday style.
