Manuel Receives Best in Show for Running Suit Design
4/10/2017 3:17:00 PM | Women's Track & Field
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Kent State track and field's Morgan Manuel, a fashion design major, was awarded Best in Show at last month's Fashion Meets the Botanicals event hosted by the Cleveland Botanicals Garden.
Manuel, a redshirt sophomore, used vinyl printing and laser cutting to design an orchid themed running suit (pictured above) that consists of leggings, crop top and sports bra. Manuel created the garment with comfortability and functionality in mind as she included a pocket in the top, designed to hold an athlete's key or other small belongings and pocket in the leggings designed to hold a cell phone.
Another unique feature of this garment and all of Manuel's designs is sustainability. Manuel explained that a typical garment wastes 15 to 20 percent of the fabric purchased to construct the garment and this project reduced waste to two to five percent of the fabric purchased.
"We were skeptical about her choice of market because athletic-wear is functional and performance-based clothing and we thought that it would be very tough to incorporate zero-waste techniques in this area," said Archana Mehta, a lecturer in the fashion school and mentor of Manuel's for the project. "Morgan, however, was up to the challenge and she very passionately and resolutely embraced the project and designed leggings and a sports bra using zero-waste techniques. While a lot of students complained about this project and chose the easy way out, Morgan whole-heartedly embraced the project and the result was very impressive."
Manuel previously showcased her sustainability efforts with an athletic jacket made of upcycled apparel. The garment (pictured to the right) was constructed using a graduation gown, an athletic jacket, a men's basketball jersey, men's swimming trunks, women's athletic shorts and a women's athletic shirt. Manuel incorporated functionality in the jacket, making the hood from a waterproof material and including mesh in the jacket to ensure breathability for athletes.
"With my minor in sustainability, I'm very focused on upcycling, zero waste garments and using biodegradable fabrics," Manuel said. "Companies like Under Armor, Puma and Adidas are moving towards being more sustainable so my focus is on making athletic gear that functions really well but is also environmentally friendly."
Manuel has been involved with fashion virtually her whole life and credits her mom, who was also a fashion merchandising major and currently owns her own boutique, with getting her started in the fashion industry. "We're constantly working together. I'm designing it and she's selling it. I think athletic wear is my calling. I understand it really well and I can make it quickly and easily."
The combination of a world-renowned fashion program and an accomplished track and field/cross country program made Kent State an attractive destination for Manuel, a distance runner and native of Appleton, Wisconsin. "Fashion and running is basically all I do so Kent State was a natural fit for me," Manuel noted.
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