Apparel textile and design seniors Anami Chan and Katie Raynard have discovered the ingredients to the perfect partnership — good organization, communication and a strong work ethic and natural similarities.
Awarded for demonstrating diversity through a creative process, the dynamic duo received the Excellence in Diversity Award through the “Students Making a Difference through Artistic Expressions” competition.
The competition is part of MSU’s Project 60/50 initiative, a platform encouraging students to use their talents to express civil and human rights themes.
Raynard and Chan applied to the competition with doubts of success because the collection wasn’t fully developed or complete.
“It’s so different now,” Chan said. “A lot has changed since we won the award, the pieces have evolved.”
Discovering an interest in fashion at a young age, Chan and Raynard pursue their passions with entrepreneurial opportunities in Greater Lansing.
“I was strong in the arts and I was interested in fiber arts, so it naturally evolved to fashion,” Chan said.
Raynard became passionate about fashion after watching her mother design and sew her figure skating costumes. Giving her mother ideas, Raynard eventually learned the skills to design and sew her costumes herself.
Since their initial interest in fashion, the duo’s interpretation of fashion has evolved from being just visually appealing to more conceptual.
“My interest is less on the surface and more in-depth now,” Chan said. “There’s an overarching theme in general fashion and it should have a greater purpose on an actual concept instead of just what’s pretty.”
Raynard originally came up with the idea of a fashion show benefiting victims of sexual trauma at the beginning of the school year after learning about a close friend’s journey of sexual trauma and abuse.
Within months, Raynard’s excitement and ideas sparked Chan’s interest and the duo began designing.
The two turned the concept into several layers, questioning and exploring, while gathering different opinions along the way.
Along with showcasing the duo’s designs and techniques, the Fashion for the Fire event will be used as a fundraising tool to benefit victims of sexual assault through the benefactor, The Firecracker Foundation, a nonprofit located in Lansing.
The collaboration between Chan, Raynard and The Firecracker Foundation encouraged the pair to focus on the survivors’ experiences and stories of assault.
Chan and Raynard said they view Fashion for Fire as an opportunity to draw awareness through fashion and art.
“When you’re there it opens a whole new environment,” Chan said. “Each story is worth hearing.”
As an associate designer at The Runway, a fashion incubator and retail showroom, Raynard has plans to pursue her fashion line full time bridging art, advocacy and fashion after she graduates in the spring.
Raynard’s dream is to make fashion environmentally sustainable.
“The bone structure is there, for future projects,” Raynard said. “All we have to do is choose another foundation and go from there.”
