In this post a few weeks ago, I reviewed the Savannah Arts Academy’s incredibly impressive Winter Dance Concert. Given the quality of that production — in terms of both dancing skill and staging — it was pretty easy to decide to free up some time for last Saturday’s Junk 2 Funk Fashion Show in the high school’s classic old auditorium.
A student designer takes a bow with his models
A friend and I went to the late afternoon show (there was a second show at 7 p.m.). Thanks to organizer and teacher Trellis Payne and thanks to Bryan Stovall for the images you see on this page. In addition to being the parent of a Junk 2 Funk student designer, Bryan is an excellent professional photographer — his website is definitely worth a visit.
This is only the third year for Junk 2 Funk, but the show has gotten incredible buzz around town, all deserved. The premise is pretty simple: students of fashion at the art magnet high school design clothes using a wide range of ordinary materials — “junk” — including shower curtains, balls, doilies, trash bags, fronds of plants, cut-up magazine pages, and on and on. The design and creation of the clothing feels both spontaneous and focused. The concepts were great, and so were the looks. Other departments from the school pitch in to create a fully staged fashion show — lights, sound, set, the works.
Intense dance pieces punctuated the fashion show
I’m sure SAA has its share of troubles, like any high school does, but it seems with each passing year I find myself mentioning more and more SAA grads in my columns in the Savannah Morning News. The school is turning out artists — including musicians, visual artists, and dancers — of high caliber. In a region where high school athletes get so much praise from the parent body and the community, it’s great to see a school where students can receive such wild applause for their creative work.
Enjoy Bryan’s photos:
