Kent State University fashion alumnus and Project
Runway contestant Suede and Phantasia Hall, Judges’
Choice winner of the 10th annual Rock the Runway
fashion show, review a line in the buyers’ room at VF Corp
in New York City.

Phantashia Hall was the Judges’ Choice winner of the 10th annual Rock the Runway fashion show held March 8 in the Kent Student Center Ballroom. As the show winner, Hall received an all-expense paid trip to New York City to tour the fashion scene with one of this year’s judges, Kent State University alumnus and Project Runway contestant Suede.

Following her recent graduation from Kent State, Hall made the trip to New York City for her mentorship experience, which included stops at VF Corp, Simplicity Creative Group and a lot of one-on-one time to talk with Suede about her goals, potential career path and the overall state of the design industry.

“This experience opened my eyes to a lot of new things about the industry,” says Hall, a native of Columbus, Ohio. “I learned about new jobs within the industry and discovered that fabrics I thought were created by a computer were actually pulled together by a team of designers.”

Phantasia Hall (left) takes the stage with models showing
off items from her fashion line, Depinned, at the 10th annual
Rock the Runway fashion show that took place at the Kent
Student Center Ballroom.

Day one was spent at VF Corporation, which is a leader in branded lifestyle apparel including jeanswear, outdoor products, image apparel, sportswear and contemporary apparel brands. The team at VF reviewed their various lines with Hall and gave her some perspective on the sales and buyer side of the industry.

“I was able to tour all the product rooms and see firsthand what a buyer will experience,” says Hall, who was able to see an actual buyer review a product line while on her visit.

Day two included a visit to Simplicity Creative Group where the heads of creative and patternmaking both informally interviewed Hall. Simplicity is one of the leading suppliers in craft, sewing, knitting, hobby and décor categories.

“The team at Simplicity was very impressed in Phantashia,” says Suede. “I could see her fitting in very well there.”

Hall is currently home in Columbus working at a national retail store. She plans to return to New York City to pursue a career in tech design with a special interest in plus sizes.