Inside the Minds of Runway XIV’s Designers

Strike Magazine Gainesville is preparing to unveil its annual spring runway show — a creative celebration of emerging designers. In this exclusive behind-the-scenes look, get a look inside the creative minds of three Runway XIV designers as we lift the veil on one of Strike’s most anticipated events. 

Ariana Ruccione

Ariana Ruccione’s passion for design materialized this year, though she has been sketching and closely watching designers like Vivienne Westwood and Chanel for as long as she can remember. As a UF freshman originally from Archer, Florida, she has embraced new opportunities to explore her fashion ambitions, such as joining MODE, a fashion and arts organization. For her first project, she  designed a piece inspired by 90s video game characters, which has launched her love of translating her creative visions into tangible pieces.

“This pivotal project instilled in me the confidence to embrace design wholeheartedly and pursue it as a dedicated endeavor,” Ruccione said.

Inspiration comes from many different places for Ruccione, but she particularly credits auditory and visual immersion for fueling her creative process. She said that listening to music while she creates allows her to infuse her designs with the mood those tunes evoke in her. For Runway XIV, she hopes her piece elicits a dreamlike sensation and a sense of enduring time through the inclusion of lace, pearls and flowy textiles, she said.

“It is my aspiration that my designs evoke a sense of the ephemeral reminiscence of a dream, brought to life through the considered interplay of diverse textures within each piece,” Ruccione said.

Through her journey with fashion, Ruccione has experienced profound personal growth. She says that fashion has aided her in finding courage to embrace new opportunities and discover fresh ways to express herself creatively. Drawing from her own experience as proof of fashion’s transformative nature, she aspires to aid others in a similar self discovery. She hopes her work helps others “confidently express their authentic selves through fashion and recognize its potential as a unique form of communication.”

Shannon Collins

As a self-taught seamstress with a sharp creative instinct, Collins approaches design with an intuitive process that prioritizes sustainability.  Her work for Runway XIV is no exception — a piece influenced by the thread of time. 

Her black hourglass dress symbolizes the ever-changing motif of time. “For the dress, I thought about the slow movement of time — how it’s running out,” Collins said. “It could be seen as either hopeful or ominous depending on how you interpret it.”

The corset body of the garment reflects on time as legacy — a testament to how the past shapes who we are today. 

Collins typically does not approach design traditionally with a sketch, but rather, lets the piece unfold as she works. 

“I usually have a shape or vision in my head and create until I reach a fork in the road,” she explained. “Sometimes I have to step away and come back with a clearer idea. It’s not the most efficient method, but it’s how my brain works.”

However, Collins’ commitment to sustainability is perhaps the most defining aspect of her work. 

“All the materials I use are secondhand,” she emphasized. “I got into fashion for sustainability reasons, and I try to honor that in everything I create.” 

Sourcing many of her materials from Gainesville’s Repurpose Project, Collins ensures that her work is not only striking, but meaningful. 

For Collins, the most challenging part of design is manifesting her imagination into reality. 

“Bringing to life what I’ve thought of in my brain is always difficult,” she said. “But it’s also the most fulfilling part.”

Chau Huynh 

Chau Huynh designs with intention, instinct and ease. Her pieces embody themes of femininity, fluidity, and functionality — built to move, to layer and to hold shape without feeling rigid. There is a balance and dramatic juxtaposition which Huynh plays with. For the runway, she’s showcasing a collection that experiments with structure: a cage skirt, a fishing line hem and techniques she’s been wanting to test and refine.

There’s no strict blueprint behind her process. 

“I don’t really like sketching,” Huynh says. “I draw to get a rough idea of what colors and overall silhouette I want, then buy fabric based on the vibe I’m going for or a Pinterest board I’ve made.” 

From there, the design evolves organically.

Huynh’s influences span the sculptural drama of Iris van Herpen, the bold forms of Jean Paul Gaultier and the intricate elegance of Sohee Kim. But she roots her work in something personal — her heritage. That sensibility runs quietly through her pieces: an interest in blending culture with experimentation and technique with softness.

Rather than grounding each garment in a conceptual theme, this collection is committed in connection. Huynh is walking the runway alongside her “big,” Zoe.

 “More than having a deep meaning to each piece, I wanted it to be a bonding moment for us,” she said.

Huynh’s not thinking of this show as a finish line. 

“Hopefully more sewing [is next],” she said. “I’m going to find ways to keep doing this.” 

Designing is a form of expression for Huynh — she will always find opportunities to create. 

Runway XIV will be April 13th, 6:00 p.m. at First Magnitude Brewing Company!

Writers: Olivia Hansen, Olivia Evans and Naina Chauhan