Lauren LeCastre does a quick sequins sewing demonstration.

When Lauren LeCastre’s looks walk down the runway May 13, it won’t be her first fashion show. The fashion design senior has been making clothes for quite a while and did work for a fashion show while still in high school.

With four years of intense college course work under her belt, it’s fair to say that Lauren has upped her game since that high school show. This is reflected not only in her collection but in her choice of Masters of Design influence—the iconic Diane Von Furstenberg.

Diane Von Furstenberg (DVF), is particularly noted for her timeless wrap dress. First introduced in the ’70s this look became a staple in many modern women’s wardrobes. The look was reintroduced in the’90s after DVF returned from a hiatus from fashion, and it was just as popular the second time around.

As Lauren worked on her final collection, she was very mindful of the delicate balance between imitating a muse and staying true to her own voice. Lauren chose not to use the easily identifiable wrap dress silhouette and instead looked to more subtle ways to draw on DVF for inspiration.

Lauren was still sewing in sequins when she met with Tim Maurer to talk makeup.

Another design hallmark attributed to DVF is graphic floral prints. Lauren has used these to great effect in her runways looks. Not only did Lauren use bold floral prints in bright modern colors, but she embellished the fabric with hand-sewn details—emphasizing the print with beading and sequins.

“I think I’m the sequins queen in the our class,” she shared with a smile, while pulling out two well-organized containers, one with tiny compartments filled with different colored sequins and another with tiny boxes of seed beads.

With all of the hand detailing, Lauren ran into a challenge that many young designers can relate to—time management. It is easy, when caught up in the excitement of developing a concept, to underestimate the amount of time it will actually take to realize that concept. Lauren found that, in addition to everything else a graduating senior has to do, she had to develop strong planning skills so that she could complete all of the tasks she had set for herself.

DVF's iconic wrap dress.

One quality that Lauren admires in Diane Von Furstenberg is the designer’s high-quality ready-to-wear line. Lauren easily sees her designs reaching a similar audience—for example a working mother could wear her looks to a fun evening out.

Like DVF, Lauren leaned toward simple silhouettes, but, in keeping with her own aesthetic, she kept her looks modern with her color choices and a higher hemline.

The result is a fun, youthful collection with the kind of hand-sewing and attention to detail that takes a look from great to wow.

Tickets are available at www.ccad.edu/fashion.