UW-Stout senior Carly Troudt wanted safety pins to shine when she created a dress that won third place at the Boston Scientific Hearts for Fashion Show in February at the Mall of America.
She added roughly 600 red ribbons — to represent the number of women diagnosed with heart disease each day in the United States — to some of the 2,000 safety pins on the long, black dress. The dress has lace and a sheer layer on top of the fabric for the safety pins.
Troudt, an apparel and design development major from Lino Lakes, Minn., said she “was really excited” about placing in the show. “I wasn’t expecting anything.”
The show included 24 designers from five area apparel design colleges. Four of the judges were from the “Project Runway” television show.
Hearts for Fashion has been held for nine years as part of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women Expo at the Mall of America. Like the New York Fashion Week that inspired it, the event features a runway show of red dresses by student designers. The goal is to shine the spotlight on the number one cause of death in women — heart disease.
Troudt first designed the dress in spring 2016 for a class project that challenged the students to come up with an innovative embellishment on a dress.
“I wanted to do something really unexpected,” Troudt said. “I wanted to give the safety pin time to shine. I wanted to use something viewed as a hard-finished product and have it be viewed as something beautiful and decorative.”
The safety pins ranged in size from one-half inch to two inches, and the dress ended up weighing close to nine pounds, Troudt said.
A friend of Troudt’s, Ferrol Rome, modeled the dress for the competition.
Troudt has known since third grade that she wanted to go into fashion design. Her mother, Peggy Troudt, graduated from UW-Stout in apparel design and development in 1984. “I was in my mom’s sewing room all the time,” Carly Troudt said. “I just love it.”
Peggy Troudt, director of fabric and technical development at Target Corp., expressed pride in Carly’s accomplishment.
“I am honored that my daughter chose to follow in my footsteps and attend UW-Stout for apparel design,” Peggy Troudt said. “Her Hearts for Fashion dress truly captures her creativity and makes me so proud to see her passion in this field.”
Shari Marnell, director of the apparel design and development program, said Troudt is talented and a hard-working student.
“She has a great eye for creative design and technical design,” Marnell said. “Her opinion is valued amongst her peers, and she is a great collaborator. She will go far in the apparel design and development industry.”
Marnell said Troudt’s dress is one of her favorites and photos do not do it justice.
“The hundreds of safety pins she used and her fabric choices make it an elegant piece on the runway,” Marnell said. “The simple add of the red ribbons was a classy touch that stands for such an amazing cause. I am so proud of Carly, and all her hard work and dedication that has paid off. I look forward to seeing her senior collection at the UW-Stout Fashion show on Thursday, April 26, and Saturday, April 28.”
Carly Troudt said she enjoy seeing other apparel students’ designs from Wisconsin and Minnesota and to compete with other students her age. Competitors were supportive of each other and wanted to help a good cause, she said.
Carly Troudt, who graduates in May, said she chose UW-Stout not only because her mother went there and was successful but also because she liked the hands-on learning at the university. Last spring she studied abroad in England at the London College of Fashion, pushing her to think outside of her comfort zone, she said.
Eventually, Carly Troudt wants to start her own company. “I want to be my own boss,” she said.
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Photo
Carly Troudt, right, took third place in the Hearts for Fashion Show at the Mall of America with her dress entry, modeled by Ferrel Rome.
