Through Fashion, Students Raise Awareness for Heart Disease
Jefferson partners with the American Heart Association on its ‘Go Red for Women’ campaign.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic forcing the cancelation of the annual Rock the Red Dress Fashion Show, fashion design juniors still created 21 looks to raise awareness for heart disease.
For the last 15 years, Jefferson has partnered with the American Heart Association (AHA) for the event, part of the organization’s Go Red for Women campaign.
Students designed and constructed the red dresses in their fall pattern development classes. The project strengthens draping skills and builds experience with evening wear.
Personal connections served as the inspiration for many of the students’ designs (pictured below):
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Hope Worth – “Innocence vs. Sin”
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Kinley Lingenfelter – “In the Red Under God”
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Rebecca Kramer – “La Ballon Rouge”
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Brooke Kaplan – “Obsessed, Much?”
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Alessandra Filippone – “The Pieces of Us”
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Cullen Dukes – “Bloodshed”
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Taylor Crocker – “Queen of Hearts”
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Lucas Circello – “Women in Power”
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Taylor Millette – “Naturally Artificial”
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McKenzi Migliorini – “A Soul Speaks in Flowers”
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Sydney Strickler – “Dimensions”
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Tiany Brito – “Crisis”
“All my life, my idols and role models have been women, my mom being the biggest one,” says fashion design student Lucas Circello. “My dress is a homage to strong, powerful women.”
Cullen Dukes’ dress was inspired by—and designed for—his mother. “Being raised by a single mom, I know the strength and power of women,” he says. “Getting to design something that would be a part of this legacy between the school and AHA was exciting.”
The red dress has become a symbol of efforts to raise awareness about heart health in women. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States.
While the fashion show itself was canceled, Jefferson’s fashion design faculty still would like to celebrate all the students involved and congratulate them on designing these looks for AHA.
Nicole Murphy ’15 is a Jefferson fashion design alumna and program coordinator for the fashion design program.
