Student Fashion Show: TERRA: Stories of Belonging
When: 7 p.m. Thursday, May 18; reception at 6 p.m.
Where: Performing Arts Center, Harper College, 1200 W. Algonquin Road, Palatine
Tickets: $25, $20 for students with ID, $50 for V.I.P.
Harper College will be closed Monday, December 23 through Wednesday, January 1 for Winter Break.
When Alyssa Weisgerber saw her best friend and 3-year-old cousin walking down the
runway wearing her creations at a high school fashion show, applause erupted from
the audience and one thing became immediately clear: This is what she wanted to do
with the rest of her life.
When: 7 p.m. Thursday, May 18; reception at 6 p.m. Tickets: $25, $20 for students with ID, $50 for V.I.P. Student Fashion Show: TERRA: Stories of Belonging
Where: Performing Arts Center, Harper College, 1200 W. Algonquin Road, Palatine
With a natural gift for sketching and sewing, her interest in fashion design took flight at a young age when she began noticing the costumes in her favorite movies and TV shows. “You can understand the character’s personality just from looking at what they’re wearing,” Alyssa said.
Eager to get started, she came to Harper College where she’s the Fashion Club president and will soon be graduating with an Associate in Applied Science degree in Fashion Studies. But when she’s not making magic in the fashion lab, you can find her sleeping in and catching up on her favorite bingeable TV shows.
Honestly? Coffee. I definitely need it because sometimes I’m on campus all day!
Sleeping in and binge-watching a TV show while knitting and embroidering.
Alex Russo from Wizards of Waverly Place. My personality is a mix between her and her best friend Harper, who was also big into fashion. I feel like we would have a lot of fun with magic.
Green, mostly because the coolest characters’ theme colors are green. Green and black, especially. Maleficent, Loki, Oogie Boogie from The Nightmare Before Christmas. They’re all so memorable because of it!
I was completely obsessed with Wednesday on Netflix! I’ve always loved The Addams Family, especially Wednesday Addams. I just really related to her character in this show and felt seen and represented. And speaking of costume design, the dress for her now iconic dance sequence was perfect for her. Tim Burton’s costume designer Colleen Atwood is my hero.
I would love to make a documentary about superhero movies. The origins of Marvel and DC, the differences between them and how the film industry has changed so much because of them. I am obsessed with Marvel; I want to work for them one day.
Dreams – why science doesn’t know that much about them, why we have them, what they mean. I personally don’t usually dream that much at night, so I find that weird. My sister has the wildest dreams and I’m like, “I don’t get it, I don’t do that!”
On a personal level, I’m hopeful that we’ll continue to see more love and acceptance for the LGBTQIA+ community; that one day it will just be the norm and you won’t have to think twice about it. And professionally, I’m eager to finish my degree and get that dream job with Marvel!
The supportive environment for students. A lot of fashion programs can be competitive and pit students against one another, but it’s not like that here. Students are encouraged to give feedback and work together in a way that helps everyone succeed. And that environment is all thanks to the instructors. I also love all of the extracurricular opportunities for students. I am the Fashion Club president as well as a student aide in the Fashion Studies department, so I basically live here. Contact me or Nupur Sharma (program coordinator for Fashion Studies) if you want to get involved!