Written by Quinn Cullen, UNC Charlotte '21

About a month before Charlotte Fashion Week, I found myself face to face with the head of Charlotte Seen — the company that runs CFW — and she was asking about me being a designer and if I would like to participate in a sponsorship challenge they were doing as a show segment. My former coworker and one of my future models had mentioned to her that I was a designer, and so the opportunity presented itself. While it’s true, yes, that I would say I am a designer, up until this point I had done nothing at this scale. Not even close. I had countless sketches and half projects done up on digital software but only a couple of pieces I had constructed and designed myself. Nonetheless, I knew I had to take advantage of the offer and eagerly expressed my interest and desire to take part. That night they gave me two cases of Icelandic Water and said they’d be in touch. It wasn’t until about a week later that I actually heard back from her, and I was officially added to the schedule. I picked up more cases of water and some other loose materials from Charlotte Seen’s boss, and the work really began. 

I had a solid idea of the silhouettes I wanted to do and so began the process of finding the materials and confirming my models. Once I knew who would be modeling, I could get all of their measurements and start drafting the patterns for the mockups we would use to help create the final garments. To get an idea of the shapes I would need to fit them, I used the model’s tank top for what would become the dress, and a shirt as the starting point for what would become the jacket. From there, I began making adjustments, cutting fabric, fitting the mockups, and figuring out how to translate the designs in my head into actual garments that people could wear.

The Icelandic Water packaging had to become part of the designs themselves, and I had to find ways to make it work without losing the overall vision for each look. One look was a floor-length black satin halter dress with an open back and long, scarf-like ties made from the water bottle labels. The other was a cropped jacket and skirt combination, with the jacket incorporating the packaging into its details and the skirt featuring fringe made from the materials. I wanted both looks to feel intentional and polished, rather than looking like a costume made for a challenge. The fact that the materials were upcycled was important, but I also wanted to prove that the end result could stand on its own as fashion. 

The process was a lot of trial and error, and there were definitely moments where things didn’t go according to plan. I was learning as I went, making adjustments to patterns, reworking pieces that didn’t fit the way I wanted them to, and occasionally having to completely rethink how I was approaching a particular part of a garment. With about a month to put everything together, there wasn’t much room for hesitation. I was teaching myself how to do things I had never done before while working toward a deadline that wasn’t going to move for me. There were late nights, frustrating moments, and plenty of figuring things out as I went, but I think that was one of the most valuable parts of the experience. I had spent so much time thinking about the kind of designer I wanted to be, and suddenly I was being forced to actually do the work and find out what I was capable of. 

When the day of the show finally came, seeing those garments on the runway was an entirely different experience from anything I had done before. I had gone from sketches and ideas on a screen to drafting patterns, constructing garments by hand, and watching models walk in pieces that I had designed and made myself. Having that work shown at Charlotte Fashion Week was a huge milestone for me, not only because of the size of the event, but because it gave me a reason to take myself seriously as a designer. It is one thing to tell people that you want to pursue something, and it is another thing entirely to put your work out there for people to see and judge. The show gave me more confidence in my ability to do this, but it also made me want to get better. If I could put together two looks under those circumstances, I can only imagine what I could do with more time, more experience, and the opportunity to continue learning. 

Fashion has always been something I have been drawn to, particularly the construction of garments and the way that an idea can become something tangible. I have spent a lot of time teaching myself to sketch, sew, drape, and understand patternmaking, and I have always been interested in the technical side of design just as much as the creative side. I love the idea that something can begin as a thought or a drawing and eventually become a physical object that somebody can wear. For a long time, though, a lot of that interest stayed in the realm of ideas and projects I would start but not necessarily finish. This opportunity forced me to take that interest beyond myself and actually put it to the test. It was a chance to see whether I could make something happen when there was a real deadline, a real audience, and people counting on me to deliver. 

My time in Delta Sigma Phi at UNC Charlotte helped prepare me for that in ways I probably wouldn’t have thought about beforehand. Delta Sig also gave me a community and connections that have continued to matter to me beyond my time in college, and I think that sense of confidence and willingness to put myself out there has carried over into the opportunities I’ve pursued since graduating. Delta Sigma Phi also connected with my incredible mentor Mike Silvaggi, through the inaugural Career Accelerator event in Chicago in 2025. Without the support and encouragement and network that Mike has provided for me, I don’t know if I would have had the belief in myself, my vision, and my dream to say yes to this opportunity in the first place. 

Looking back, one of the most meaningful parts of this experience is that it happened because somebody else saw something in me before I had fully proven it to myself. My former coworker mentioned my work, the opportunity came along, and I had to decide whether I was going to step up and take it. I’m incredibly grateful that I did. It would have been easy to convince myself that I wasn’t ready, that I needed more experience, or that I should wait until I had everything figured out. Instead, I said yes and learned a tremendous amount in the process. 

Charlotte Fashion Week was a milestone, but I don’t see it as the end goal. I see it as the beginning of something I want to continue pursuing seriously. I know there is still a great deal for me to learn, and I want to keep developing my technical skills, refining my design perspective, and finding opportunities to challenge myself. Ultimately, I want to build a career as a designer, and this experience made that ambition feel a lot more tangible. I’m proud of what I accomplished, especially considering the time and resources I had to work with, and I’m excited to see where I can take it from here.

I’m also proud to be able to share this experience with the Delta Sigma Phi community. The fraternity was an important part of my college experience, and it’s meaningful to have something I’ve worked toward personally become an opportunity to represent myself and my fraternity on a larger stage. Some of my best friends who supported me and cheered for me before, during, and after the show were brothers who I wouldn’t have without this great fraternity. If there’s anything I hope somebody takes away from my story, it’s that you don’t necessarily have to wait until you feel completely ready to pursue something you care about. Sometimes the opportunity comes before you think you’re prepared for it, and you just have to be willing to take a chance on yourself, put in the work and see what happens.