Fashion Students Focus on Bubble-Wear

It’s drop-off day at the 2015 Bubble Ball, where 16 Central Campus Fashion Design and Merchandising students will join more than 60 working designers to create a program the local charity ChildServe calls “bubblicious.” The Bubble Ball is an annual fashion event where designers must use bubble wrap as their primary source material, and the theme this year is children’s animation.

The students and their instructor, Tracy Holland, took the bus from school unlike the professional, “real world” designers.

“The great thing was, when we had a chance to see what everyone else brought, the students were so pleased to see their designs were just as good,” Holland said. “I’m really proud of them.”

The students have been working on concepts since January; hand dying, hand painting and dreaming up amazing designs.

“I’m over the moon,” Holland said. “We tried some new techniques. You wouldn’t think working with bubble wrap would be hard, but it is.”

Tonight, they’ll have a final fitting and walk-through with the models, and Saturday night is the big night in the Capital Square atrium. Hundreds of people have donated thousands of dollars to be at the soldout event, many of whom are influential in the community.

“It is a wonderful way for the students to have some recognition, get in front of a great audience and give back to the community all at the same time,” Holland said. “Plus, it’s going to be really cool!”

The students have three more big to-dos this spring. They’re being showcased at an Iowa State Education Association event, a Des Moines Art Alliance event and of course, the annual Central Campus Fashion Show on April 30 and May 1.