THE PREP

You could say that fashion runs in the family for Irene S. Choi ’07.

After all, it was through her two grandmothers—one a designer and the other a seamstress—that her parents came to meet. It was also through these two women that Choi was first exposed to fashion.

“I definitely remember growing up and having my grandmother being there and making a lot of clothing for me,” says Choi.

Now, as a contestant in FM’s fashion challenge, it’s Choi’s turn to make the clothes—although she’ll be taking quite a different approach than her grandmothers.

“Because I grew up in a family of seamstresses, I was always told that you never make anything without a pattern. But I hate patterns, so I don’t use them,” says Choi. Her preference is clear on the first day of the challenge; she skips the fabric store and heads to Urban Outfitters, where she hopes to find several existing garments that she can rip apart and reconstruct into a new piece.

At Urban, Choi comes upon a long black dress and an oversized tiger-print T-shirt, each for under $10. Later on, Choi takes apart these pre-made pieces to create a dress with a black halter top and bubble-like skirt, cinched together at the waist with an intricate, braided piping. Choi describes the style of her designs as “classy, preppy, and very urban-esque.”

Choi thinks that this unique aesthetic definitely sets her apart from the other competitors, who all have their own flair.

“I know all the other designers and we all have such different styles,” says Choi.

Her tasteful and eclectic tastes show up in her extracurriculars as well. She currently plays electric guitar and violin in Plan B for the Type A’s—an all-girl rock band made up of five Harvard seniors—and is a member of the Harvard College Alliance of Rock and Roll. But despite these other activities, design has always been her raison d’être.

OVERALL SCORES

Aesthetics/Style: 7

Creativity: 6.5

Craftsmanship: 6.5

Je ne sais quoi: 6.75

Overall: 6.6875

Designer: Irene S. Choi '07