Kiera Henderson had no sewing experience, little interest in arts and design and no idea what career path to take by her junior year of high school.

All of that changed when she received an email about a summer college program for fashion design at Syracuse University, where she discovered her passion for fashion.

“In high school when we had dress down days, I was just that girl who did the most and just like went all out — I had never taken that into consideration,” she said. “My mom was like, ‘Why not go and see how it is?’ and after (the program) I realized it’s definitely what I want to do.”

Henderson, now a senior fashion design major, spends hours every week working on her first full collection. She’s constantly surrounded by sewing machines on every table, pop art photos of supermodel Twiggy around the room and dress-form mannequins on every corner.

After spending last spring abroad in London where she experienced an environment that was more accepting of nudity, Henderson said she was moved to create a collection inspired by female sexuality.

Henderson said her senior collection features daring pieces, like a caged skirt constructed out of leather and velvet, a silky floor-length robe with a caged back, gray lacy bralettes and high-waisted underwear made out of mesh and spandex. She said she did a lot of research about the topic when preparing her designs, and that her collection aims to break down the barrier between women and sexuality.

“It’s very 50 Shades-esque — that wasn’t where it was supposed to go, but it did,” she said. “There’s definitely some boobs, and it’s very revealing but in a cool way, not overly nasty and freaky.”

Jessica McKinney, Henderson’s roommate and best friend, claims that the collection also matches Henderson’s edgy, unique and adventurous personality.

“She puts her personality into her pieces, you can see each part of her in the work she does. She loves to take risks,” McKinney, a senior magazine journalism major, said. “It’s going to be a shocker, it’s not the norm for a Syracuse University fashion show.”

Henderson describes her personal style as “very chill but kind of eclectic.” She avoids wearing what she considers “basic” clothing, such as black leggings and plain T-shirts.

Even her coats are very colorful — her favorite clothing item is a pastel pink and blue fur coat from Paris, which embodies her vibrant and colorful aesthetic.

“I try not to let (trends) take over my whole style,” Henderson said. “I try to just be an individual, I don’t like to wear what everyone else is wearing.”

Todd Conover, Henderson’s senior collection professor, has watched her confidence as a designer grow since last semester. He is positive that the lingerie-inspired collection will be a success due to Henderson’s “striking” application of historic elements of fashion but with a contemporary twist.

“She has a gift for that. She’s a very assured designer. I appreciate that she’s willing to stretch that far,” Connover said. “It will be a memorable collection because it’s out of the box and risqué.”

While Henderson said her designs are not influenced by other designers, she takes inspiration from designers like Donna Karan and Coco Chanel for being strong and successful women in the fashion industry. She also admires Jeremy Scott’s work for Moschino, which she described as “fun and funky.”

When she’s finished, Henderson will present her full collection at the senior fashion show on April 23 alongside other fashion design students.

“It’s girly, but it’s like ‘I’m a boss bitch,’” she said about her collection. “I’m pretty sure people aren’t gonna be ready.”

Published on March 4, 2015 at 12:01 am