Association of
Fashion & Design
Since June of 2024, I have had the honor of serving as President for the Association of Fashion & Design (AFAD). AFAD is a student run organization with the goal to equip students with valuable connections, resources, tips, and experiences to ensure their success in the fashion industry. As President, I’ve had the privilege of hosting our bi-weekly meetings, leading our members in educational workshops, assist in organizing community service opportunities, and facilitating Q&A’s with guest speakers from the fashion industry.
Photo by Sierra Ball
Couture Amore
My personal favorite project that I’ve worked on as President is a fashion show we hosted in collaboration with Sartorial Magazine and the Student Activities Council (SAC) at Missouri State University as a part of SAC’s Valentines Week celebrations, where I acted as Creative Director. Members from AFAD served as the designers for the show, and members of Sartorial served as runway models. As part of my role, I collaborated with the SAC to create a cohesive vision between all parties involved, as well as plan an engaging event for local fashion enthusiasts. The event, titled “Couture Amore” drew an audience of 300+, and was a huge success, as well as a beneficial event for designers and models involved to build their portfolios.
Photos by Rishita Nannapaneni
Kansas City Fashion Week
One of AFAD’s annual traditions is taking our members to Kansas City Fashion Week, During this trip, AFAD members get to volunteer at a large scale fashion show and get a glimpse into the inner workings of a large-scale, live fashion show. As President, my responsibilities include facilitating communication between AFAD and the folks at KCFW, working with the Treasurer to book a hotel for our members, and communicating information to attending members, such as dress code, expectations, and scheduling.
*A video I filmed and edited for the Missouri State DFM Instagram account
Merch Design
One of the traditions I implemented during my presidency is an annual design competition for AFAD’s merchandise. This gives all members a chance to work on a design project outside of class and exercise the graphic design skills that we learn about in our classes. Members submit their designs, DFM faculty chooses their top 4-5 favorite designs, and then a vote is held amongst AFAD members during a meeting. Whichever design receives the most votes then gets produced and is available for purchase by members! I wanted to begin this tradition because it gives members the opportunity to work on a design for a real-life project, and if chosen, if makes for a great portfolio piece.
In Fall of 2025, I created my own design to submit for the running and was honored when my design was voted for by the general members! Below is the selected design, as well as a few other mock-ups I made when deciding the direction I wanted to go in.
