Hemlines raise awareness of heart disease

In four hours, LSU College of Agriculture Textiles, Apparel Design and Merchandising students turned paper hearts into dresses that were works of art.
Six students participated in the American Heart Association’s Hemline for Hearts event on Jan. 15 at the Mall of Louisiana. The students are members of the student fashion and merchandising organization Hemline@LSU.
The competition raises awareness of the danger of heart disease and stroke to women but also helps the students showcase their talents.
“The red dress is kind of an icon for the American Heart Association and the Go Red for Women movement,” said Lori Russell, assistant director of the American Heart Association Greater Southeast Affiliate. “It’s the color of strength.”
Cardiovascular disease remains the No. 1 killer of women, Russell said.
LSU junior Rebecca Stephens had a close encounter with heart disease.
“My mom has 10 percent of a functioning heart,” Stephens said. “She ignored her high blood pressure for years. She didn’t do anything about it. Two years ago she had to be rushed to the hospital. Her heart was deteriorating.”
Stephens’ “Queen of Hearts” creation placed first in the competition.
“I feel that every woman is a queen of her body; queen of her life. When you have heart disease, you lose that feeling. They don’t feel secure in their body,” Stephens said, adding that she was shocked when it was announced she won.
“It’s stunning when you walk around and see just how much you can do with paper hearts,” she said. Heart disease survivors helped judge the competition.
Even with the common thread – the paper hearts – each outfit was unique.
Whitney Sylvain, a sophomore who placed third in the competition, created a pantsuit.
“I was going for a twist on the red dress,” Sylvain said. “She is supposed to be the modern day super woman – a little edgy, really powerful.”
Sylvain ran out of time to create the cape she intended to make. The designers had four hours to make their garments. Time was a constraint for all the designers.
Nicole Hogan, a junior, cut the hearts into smaller hearts and made a short dress with a sweetheart neckline.
“This is the first time making a garment out of paper,” Hogan said. “It was a lot harder than you think. I wish I would have had more time.”
LeAnne Constantine placed second with her dress, which featured a pleated sweetheart bodice, a peplum and a mermaid-style skirt with more pleating.
Delisia Matthews, assistant professor and co-advisor to Hemline@LSU, said the event helps bridge the gap between LSU and the Baton Rouge community.
“We want students to understand the importance of giving back to the community, and this allows the students to showcase their talents to the community,” Matthews said.
Casey Stannard, also an assistant professor and co-advisor to Hemline@LSU, said she was impressed with the six designs.
“They are showing a lot of sophistication in terms of techniques and the paper folding. They are spot-on to the original sketch,” Stannard said.
The six students received gift bags from Macy’s. The top three winners also received Macy’s gift cards.
“I am going to buy myself a nice red dress,” Stephens said.
Stephens also received two tickets to the Go Red for Women lunch in February sponsored by the American Heart Association.