Editor’s note: This is the third part in a series of stories about textiles and apparel seniors and their fashion show held at the end of the semester.
Stephanie Wagenman can take a break when she’s older.
As a textiles and apparel senior at the University, Wagenman must complete a collection of four outfits for the department’s fashion show in April while also being a full-time student, ballet instructor and intern for a local designer.
“Everybody said to me, ‘Oh try to take as little classes as you can, try to not work and not have a social life or do anything besides design clothes for the runway show,’” she said.
“I’ve actually found the opposite to be true.”
Wagenman became interested in design at a young age as a way to distract herself from school work. The first garments she ever made were for her Troll dolls when she was 5 years old.
“I used to make little tunics for all my troll dolls,” she said. “And all I would do is cut holes in felt and make them put a little button on it, and it was super fashionable for the Trolls.”
Her first “legitimate” outfit was for Girl Scouts. Making simplistic A-line style broom skirts eventually led to her passion for design.
As a child, Wagenman said that she lacked motivation for schoolwork, so she used art and dance as creative outlets.
“I didn’t like reading or writing in school, and I really couldn’t do it that well, so I would always have art as an outlet and wanted to be an artist forever,” she said.
She started ballet lessons at 8 years old and became a professional dancer at 17 years old. Five years ago, she began teaching at Alisa’s Dance Academy and used the money she earned to put herself through college. Many of her students have been with her all five years, and she has watched them grow up.
“It’s interesting to see them become young women and start asking me advice on ‘What am I going to do with my dance career’ or ‘What am I going to do with my life,’ and I tell them, ‘Well you know you can have the best of both worlds,’” she said.
When Wagenman isn’t dancing she is on campus working on her collection.
Even if she does not have class, Wagenman drives to school early in the morning while the labs are open to finish her garments.
Wagenman said she receives inspiration all the time. Normally, she will write her ideas down anywhere and pieces them together when she has time to sit and think. However, for this semester’s fashion show she is “flying by the seat of her pants.”
“I don’t know what I’m doing half the time, but it’s worked out pretty good so far,” she said.
Wagenman plans to move to New York City after graduation to continue incorporating fashion and dance into a career.
“I like this sort of lifestyle where I can bounce back and forth from one profession to the next between work and school and play,” she said.
