Sisters on the Runway: A Photo Study

Once Upon a Time, there was a beautiful concrete fortress. Strong,

robust, and filled with talent and passion, it is here that our story

begins. Like most stories, this one follows the journey of a man as he embarks on the road to greatness.

Though there aren’t curses that need to be broken or damsels that need to

be rescued, our story is important just the same. It’s a world filled with hair,

makeup, shoes, runways, and of course, fashion. Though some may

say it’s superficial, we’d like to argue you can’t say so without seeing that

world for yourself first! Thankfully you have us to show it to you!

Our protagonist’s name is Daniel Natale and this is his story.

One of the most well-known historic landmarks in all of NYC, Fashion Avenue has forever been a Mecca for artists and creators alike. From it’s plethora of fabric shops and sewing supplies stores , it’s only fitting that a fashion show would take place there.

Located on the corner of Fashion Avenue and 40th street, Parsons: The New School for Design, was founded in 1896. Forever revolutionizing the way fashion education was taught, Parsons is known for its professors and staff, many who are alums of the industry themselves.

Known largely as “the place where Project Runway is filmed”, Parsons is unique in that it is one of the few places that not only challenges students academically, but also gives them a platform where they can advertise their work via weekly student produced runway shows and events. These events often benefit charities, as well as, get students in contact with potential employers.

One such event was the 2nd annual Sisters on the Runway Fashion Charity show which was held on Friday, October 11th at the Parsons Fashion Building. Sisters on the Runway was founded in 2005 by then 15-year olds Elizabeth Eddy, Gabriela Graham, and Juliana Colangelo. Since then it’s grown to have a division in over 100 colleges and high schools throughout the United States. The Parsons Division is one of the largest in New York City.

All proceeds from the event went to benefit Safe Haven, a shelter dedicated to helping women and children affected by domestic violence. Though the event was held for the charity, it largely focused on the inner workings and operations of the fashion industry. When asked about the event, most of the models and designers said it was a great cause, but admitted they knew little about it and were mainly there to “walk the runway”.

With such great emphasis on the fashion-side of the event, models were expected to get the full runway treatment, including hair and makeup. Most of the makeup artists volunteered their services. Elf cosmetics also volunteered some of it’s products for the event, though all models were told to bring their own foundation and mascara to save time.

One of the designers featured in Friday night’s show was 22-year-old Parsons student Dan Natale, pictured here with his model Chiyo, 25. Hailing from Canada, Dan had originally intended to be an architect but had a change of heart when he began constructing clothes. The inspiration behind Dan’s piece is hiding a women’s body: “ I rarely design clothes to be form fitting. A woman is more intriguing when one must imagine her through elegant fabrics and beautiful drapes”.

Dan had to audition for a spot in the Sisters on the Runway show. He had to submit sketches and construct five garments, including the piece shown to the left modeled by Chiyo, 25. When asked about the cause, Dan said , “I actually knew about the cause since my freshmen year at Parsons. I participated last year for the first time and when I heard they were doing it again, I didn’t even have to think about it. For me to help people just by making clothes for others to look at, is the least I can do.”

Dan’s Collection, called Ruble, which consisted of blacks, whites, and greys, was inspired by his own uniqueness as a designer: “The thing about me as a designer is unlike other things. It’s an exploration of shape that I conduct by myself in a way. So where other people might be inspired by flowers or a painting, I like to just take a fabric I like and explore what I can do with shape. And when I get something I like I’ll sort of build the collection around that”.

The show, which began at 7:00, had a very large turnout. Among those who attended were journalist and photographers who got the coveted “front row reserved seats”.

About 350 people came to watch the Parsons fashion show. The event was so crowded that the small hall where it was held quickly ran out of seats, causing some patrons to stand or lean against the back walls.

The Show began with a short speech by Blair Morgan Reeves, President of the Sisters on the Runway Division at Parsons. Thanking everyone for showing their support, Blair revealed that through ticket sales and other donations, Parsons was able to raise more than $5000 for Safe Haven.

The names of the 15 designers showing in the show were projected on large widescreen TVs along the runway hall’s left and right side, signifying the beginning and end of each designer’s collection. Dan’s name, seen here, was lucky number 15!

Mary Adams, 21, seen here modeling for Dan, had this to say about her fellow Parson student : “Dan has a natural talent when it comes to designing clothes. I love his design style because it’s super easy and I can totally see his clothes being sold in stores. He gets really embarrassed when I try to convince him to let me where stuff he’s made out but he’s super talented.” When asked about the cause, she admitted, “I only know a little about it but I think it’s awesome. But then again what cause isn’t awesome!”

Fellow Parsons Journalism student, Charlotte Woods, 21, who also walked in Dan’s show said that she found out about the event through Blair, the Sisters on the Runway President at Parsons: “I saw Blair putting up flyers about the model casting around school and I wanted to help. Plus I really liked the cause. I think it’s a great collaborate effort, especially since its run by students . I think it’s great that the proceeds go to Safe Haven. It gives a promotional platform for the designer and simultaneously serves a purpose for the cause. I like being a part of it. Plus Dan’s outfits are so close to my own style that I love wearing them.

FIT student Danielle Kraeger, 20, who walked in the very first Sisters on the Runway show last year, had this to say: “I’m very exciting to be walking! Especially for Dan”. Despite the fact that FIT and Parsons are rivals, Danielle stated that she decided to walk in the show because, “I like the cause a lot. There’s more meaning behind it than just walking for a show or competition. Its life changing.”

Strolling down the runway at the show’s end, Dan shocked the crowd by not walking out with one favorite model like all the other designers before him; instead he walked out with all five, causing the crowd to erupt in raucous cheers that later ended in a standing ovation! Later on he said, “They had told me to pick one model to go out with but I couldn’t do that. The collection wouldn’t have been the same without all of them, so I picked all of them.”

Dan gets a standing ovation from the crowd as he and his models make their final walk down the runway. “He stole the show” most people are heard saying.

Dan and his models Chiyo, Julia, Charlotte, Danielle, and Mary all pose for pictures at the end of the show. When asked how it felt to get a standing ovation, Dan throw his hand out and said, “It was rocking rolling!”