Participates in Iowa 4-H Awardrobe Clothing Event at Iowa State Fair ...
One hundred twenty-three youth from 70 counties participated in the 2021 Awardrobe Clothing Event held at the Iowa State Fair. Elizabeth Fossum (pictured at right), daughter of Kevin and Julie Fossum of Waterville, represented Allamakee County 4-H in the Clothing Selection Awardrobe Event. She is a Senior member of the Elon PMC 4-H Club.
This event provides 4-H members in grades 9-12 the opportunity to showcase their apparel design and production knowledge, as well as creativity skills. As a part of the showcasing experience, youth complete a comprehensive report and participate in conference judging. The event concludes with a runway show for all participants.
Bonnie Dalager, 4-H youth program specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, has been organizing the event for the past five years. “Our planning team and volunteers work together to make this a positive experience for meaningful recognition for our youth participants. We want to offer our members an opportunity to showcase their project area knowledge, learn clothing-related skills, and network with others from around the state who share their interests,” Dalager said.
Workshops this year featured hands-on opportunities in expression through clothing selection and creative design. Collaborative art workshops were based on a theme of sustainability selected by the youth coordinating team. The event has three categories: Clothing Selection - participants select or purchase an outfit for a specific occasion; Fashion Revue - the garment is constructed, hand-knitted, machine-knitted or crocheted by the participant; and the $15 Challenge - the participant purchases an outfit for $15 or less from garage sales, consignment shops or clothing resale stores. “For the Awardrobe Clothing Event, 4-H members are evaluated on their verbal and written communication skills, project goals, choice of clothing and knowledge of the garment,” said Dalager.
State fair participants are nominated for the Awardrobe Clothing Event within their county 4-H program. Recognition opportunities include gift cards for top-ranking class participants, sponsored awards by the Central Iowa Chapter of the American Sewing Guild and a $500 scholarship awarded by Iowa State University’s apparel, merchandising and design program. For more information about Allamakee County 4-H, call 563-568-6345. Submitted photo.
