TXMD Runway Show

Introducing this year’s Co-Managers for the 2025 annual TXMD fashion show, Guinneth Sintic and Rebekah Frey (pictured left to right)!

Guinneth is a senior apparel design student with a minor in entrepreneurship and the Design Co-Manager for the show. She has been sewing since 2020 and was an intern with Nashville’s fashion designer, Andrew Gallivan in 2023.  Her goal is to one day start her own brand, alongside designing clothing for celebrities and artists. 

Rebekah Frey is a senior fashion merchandising major with a minor in entrepreneurship. She is also Vice President of the fashion and design students club (FaDS) at MTSU, the merchandising co-director for the show, and has been working in luxury retail spaces for 2 years.  She is pursuing her dreams of upholding a managerial position for a luxury brand by getting her master’s degree in London this fall. 

Both managers are dedicated and involved students in the TXMD program, who are extremely motivated to make this the best show that we have ever had! 

Hello! My name is Autumn Pickett and I’m a senior at MTSU. I am passionate about design and aim to consider sustainability in every step of the design process. I’ve named my collection for this year’s annual TXMD fashion show, “ Eco-Disco.” Inspired by the subcategory of Deforestation, I have designed a collection that highlights four animals deeply impacted by the destruction of their homes and food sources. My collection consists of four looks, two womenswear and two menswear ensembles. Each of them are created with primarily repurposed materials, giving overlooked items another chance at a new life and symbolizing the new life and attention these animals deserve. I can’t wait to boogie on down the runway with y’all.

My name is Ella, and I am a junior Apparel Design major with a minor in Photography. My love for fashion started with my grandmother who taught me how to sew when I was a little girl. When I was fifteen, she gave me a bunch of her old clothes that fit me perfectly. It was the first time I had unique, quality pieces and I started experimenting with my style as much as I could. The design program at MTSU has propelled my interest in design and I have become better at sewing, designing, embellishing, and detailing than I ever thought I could. My collection is inspired by the Southern Gothic aesthetic that combines vintage, Southern fashion with darker, gothic details. It explores the troubled history of racism, poverty, and violence that lays behind the curtain of Southern culture and how this past still haunts the present. I am a country girl at heart, so it is also inspired by a combination of where I come from and the fashion that I love now. As a designer I am so excited to be making my first collection and to be able to showcase it in the amazing fashion show that MTSU puts on every year.

Hi, I’m Zoe Grummons, I’m an Apparel Design Major at MTSU. I’ve been sewing since I was thirteen and have honed my skills of pattern making and fashion design in my three years at MTSU and I’m excited to showcase my work in the 2025 TXMD runway show. My collection is named “Centuries Through The Sky”, it showcases how even as the world changes throughout time, and even as the Earth shifts with Global Warming, the one thing that stays the same is our opulent, celestial sky. My collection contains four pieces. A golden sunrise over ancient Greece that comes to life in a flowing chiton, shining with the elegance of the dawn. The ethereal glow of the aurora borealis dances across a medieval gown, evoking the mystique of the Northern lights. A delicate Edwardian dress captures the romance of a fading day, soft and dreamlike. The electricity of a 1970s storm fuels a bold, tempestuous ensemble that’s chaotic, powerful, and full of thunder.

Hi! I’m Lily Cross! I am a junior, majoring in apparel design. I enjoy sewing, movies, drawing, and doing costuming on student film sets. When I graduate, I want to be a costume designer in film and television. 

My collection has a theme of vampirism, and a story is told through each outfit in my collection. Vampires drain humans of their blood for life and power. Their hunger can never be satisfied which causes an endless cycle of consumption. Killing everyone to satisfy their desires. The issue of overconsumption in our world is just the same. People drain our planet of its resources to fuel their endless cycle of consumption. 

Hello, my name is Delanie Dempsey! I am a junior at Middle Tennessee State University majoring in Apparel Design with minors in Entrepreneurship and Entertainment Arts Design. I grew up in Chattanooga, TN and gained my love of fashion from my mom. My collection falls under the Deforestation category, as my outfits are inspired by different gemstones. Gemstones are minerals or petrified material that are cut and polished and serve as a great reminder of how beautiful the Earth is. The gemstones used to inspire my collection are sapphire, emerald, and ruby. Sapphire symbolizes Wisdom, Emerald symbolizes hope, and Ruby symbolizes love. I am dedicating my collection to my mom Dawn and girlfriend Serenity, who I love and miss very dearly.

My name is Annelise and I am majoring in Apparel Design and minoring in Entrepreneurship. I have always felt drawn to the fashion world as a kid and would play dress up with my grandparents, coordinating ur outfits. As I’ve grown, I’ve come to love the artistic expression and layers of how one chooses to dress. As a designer I enjoy creating designs that imitate or are nature inspired. I stick to this throughout my collection and incorporate my design aesthetics. I would describe my collection aesthetic as dreamy, charming, and delicate. The collection is inspired by the beauty of the arctic tundra and the natural beauty and wildlife of the terrain. It is under the climate change subcategory but I hoped to bring light to what beauty is in our world and why this issue should be so important. My first ensemble consists of a tiered skirt and bodice. This piece is constructed of fabrics that caught my eye due to their shimmer, icy colors, and snowflake like appearance. I really want this piece to encapsulate a snowy landscape. Ensemble 2 is a godet skirt with lace showcases the mountains and the range or colors and textures. The fabrics used are silver satin, gray/purple lace, and fur that imitates arctic wildlife prints. The third ensemble is a menswear fur vest and grey pant. This ensemble is mostly focused around the wildlife as the colors and prints are mostly neutral but have a warm feel due to the textures. Lastly ensemble 4 is a bodice and godet pant. This last ensemble is meant to imitate ice and uses different pastels and white, grey, silver, and pink. Many times people forget the natural beauty of ice and its properties such as its range of colors. It can be magical and that is what i’d like to portray with this ensemble.

Hello, my name is Lai Kim, and I am the designer behind the collection “Love Letters” from God. As a designer, I am deeply committed to creating pieces that not only celebrate beauty but also address significant social and environmental issues. With “Love Letters” from God, I aim to raise awareness about the urgent effects of climate change and the fashion industry’s role in it. This collection is inspired by the concept of God sending love letters to humanity, urging us to act with responsibility, care, and love for the Earth. Each garment reflects my profound respect for nature and my belief that through conscious design, we can contribute to healing the planet. Every piece serves as a “love letter” from God, urging us to restore balance with nature before it’s too late. I hope this collection sparks reflection and action, reminding us all that we share the responsibility to protect the world we call home

Hello! My name is Brooklyn Barton, and I am a senior at MTSU. I am passionate about vintage clothing and incorporating them into my designs, as well as making my clothing with secondhand materials to be sustainable and add visual interest. My collection for this year’s TXMD fashion show is named “Mothers of Pearl.“ This collection is inspired by the subcategory of Climate Change, designed to highlight displacement of mythical creatures in the sea due to warming waters and melting ice caps, as if they came ashore. My collection consists of four looks, all womenswear ensembles made with repurposed fabrics. Each ensemble has a different aspect to mimic a mermaid, such as shells and tails. I am excited to entrance the audience through each siren’s song!

My name is Abby Ruesewald, and my collection is titled ‘Ange D’or,’ which translates to ‘Golden Angel.’ The name is inspired by a French coin featuring St. Michael, crowned and standing triumphantly over a dragon he has just slain, holding a staff cross and a shield adorned with the crest of France. This side of the coin symbolizes the feeling I hope to evoke in the wearer of this collection: one of victory, confidence, and power. On the opposite side of the coin is a cross, which represents religion and is reflected in my choice of fabric and trim. This collection aims to address the religious core of marriage while also critiquing the corruption and patriarchal values often associated with it. One design element I have incorporated to express these ideals is the use of caging, which symbolizes the restrictions placed on women by certain religious ideologies, where their worth is often reduced to their ability to serve men.

Additionally, my use of pleating serves to convey the complexity of women’s identities. Women have many layers, interests, and intricate personalities, yet these qualities are frequently concealed behind a facade to avoid making others uncomfortable.

This collection challenges the boundaries of traditional bridalwear, offering brides a unique opportunity to express their individuality and break free from the patriarchal constraints that societal expectations and family values often impose.