UNT Fashion Design Student Presents Art Showcase for Sustainability Series

A trench coat stood to the right of the stage on a mannequin. People huddled in small groups, chatting as they waited for the showcase to start. UNT fashion design student Timothy Freeny walked around grinning and welcoming everyone who came in to take part in the second event of the sustainability series held at the GDAC on April 13.   

The space was filled with artwork from UNT College of Visual Arts and Design students who were excited to showcase the sculptures, paintings, and clothing they made out of cardboard, reusable fabrics, pantyhose, and scraps they found on the side of the road. The purpose of this series was to show different ways artists can make art that doesn’t harm the environment while also conveying a unique message that inspires those that attend each workshop.

Freeny grabbed a mic and walked onto the small stage set up against the wall and everyone found a seat to listen.

“This is Pianist vs Lawyer,” Freeny told the audience.

Leading up to the trench coat was a small quilt that Freeny made to show the two main paths he thought existed in life. He believed everyone should pursue their dreams, explaining the significance of the quilt’s pattern.

“The pianist route is very uncertain and it’s the opposite of what society wants you to do,” Freeny said.  “Piainost doesn’t mean specifically only a pianist, it’s the idea of going down the path of your passion. That side is really bright because it’s promoting the happy route, doing what you love. It’s very uncertain, you don’t know what is gonna come out of it. Then you have the lawyer side, the side that society deems as the best or safest route.” 

Freeny produced a short film entitled “Internal Freedom” which he created with his friend Marley McMillan. The short film consisted of interviews from students pursuing their passions and the struggles they faced to get there. 

Once the short film ended, a flurry of people rushed to the trench coat to add their personality to the brown and gray patterned fabric. Visitors moseyed around the room, looking at all the different artwork and asking the artists questions. 

“This is a soft sculpture,” UNT CVAD student Shelby Lancaster explained, gesturing towards the long tentacles of recycled clothing stuffed with polyester fill. “I really enjoyed the playfulness of it, its movement, all the capabilities, how long I can make it, how wide I can make it.”

Large paintings made out of cardboard and recycled newspapers leaned against a makeshift wall for guests to admire. 

“Two of these pieces came from the ground,” artist Dori Lazcano laughed. “I got some of these pieces from the floor outside the art building. The reason why I like working with cardboard is because it is a very cheap way to work big. I really like using this paper background because it gives it a nice texture and something to look at.”

The trench coat remained the main attraction as people added and took away from it. Holes were cut into the sleeves, yellow fabric was stitched to the bottom. An older woman grabbed a red fabric marker and wrote ‘Granny’ on the collar. 

“I wanted to put it on the heart, but a beautiful drawing was already painted there,” she said pointing to the cat drawn on the heart of the trench coat. She was there to support her grandson, Freeny, explaining how she loved “odd fashion” and joking that she would wear the coat to church on Sunday.

At the end, everyone gathered around the trench coat to take a picture, showcasing the piece of art they all helped design. 

“It was everything I imagined,” Freeny said. His goal was to make people “feel inspired and comfortable in a space and able to express their creativity on a trenchcoat” and at the end of the night, it was clear that the visitors did just that.