Join us as we celebrate our Summer and Fall 2018 graduates!!!

When: Thursday, December 20th at 6pm.
Where: City Place | 200 N. 4th St., St. Louis, MO 63102 | Meramec Ballroom

Parking available in the adjacent parking garage for $5. Ticket must be validated at the front desk.

Cake and punch will be served after ceremony.

Siba students said “Hello” to Chicago recently on a school-sponsored trip to the nation’s third-largest city. Business Administration students joined Department Chair Ratesha Nicholson on a tour designed to inform students about several facets of commerce: finance, marketing, management, and economics.

Students toured the Macy’s Building on State Street, where they learned about the history of the company and the strategies and ideas that go into merchandising and marketing the products.

The group also explored downtown and took a walking tour of Chicago’s entire financial district. They wrapped up the day with a tour of Trunk Club, Inc, which offers personalized styling services for men and women either online or through their brick and mortar locations in major cities across the country. During the tour and presentation, students learned about the product mix, target demographics, and future strategic plans for the company.

According to Mrs. Nicholson, “This was a wonderful opportunity to get a hands on knowledge of how different business run within the industry.”

Mother Model Management’s over-the-top November runway show, Tribute, was huge success, and Siba student and alumni volunteers are reflecting on a job well done. This year’s event was inspired by the intrigue of the circus and iconic moments in fashion. Held at “The Big Top” on Washington Blvd in the revitalized Grand Center and featuring big-name models who got their start through Mother, the show proved to be an excellent learning experience and resume builder for Retail Management/Fashion Merchandising students and alumni alike.

Sarah Bross, a 2016 Siba Retail/Fashion graduate who now works for Mother Model Management, oversaw the entirety of the show. “Tribute at the Big Top was the highest level of production we have achieved thus far. Mother Model created stunning video and audio content, impeccable styling complemented by Caleres shoes, and a show that was fun and immensely inspiring.”

Another Siba alum, Olivia Perez, facilitated back-of-the-house for the show—a job where organization and the ability to think your feet are essential: “Keeping an organized space is the most important aspect of back of house. After a few years of working with this team, we easily found our groove on the day of the show. Each stylist had his or her own space, and owned that area.”

Both Perez and Bross agree that having Siba student & alumni volunteers on hand was a HUGE asset. From helping with front-of-the-house responsibilities like seating guests and accepting last minute ticket purchases to back-of-the-house duties such as assisting stylists and designers, Siba students made a difference in the hours leading up to show time.

According to Perez, “The volunteers from Siba were wonderful—each one took on a task and ran with it! I think keeping a positive attitude as a volunteer is something I notice most, and did notice with students. We always appreciate any time and effort a volunteer puts in, and the show surely wouldn't run as smoothly without them.”

First year student Monea Patton especially loved her role of scanning tickets because it allowed her to see all the fashionable attendees. Participating in the show gave her new insights into the fashion industry: “The entire day was a learning experience. There’s a lot more that goes into productions like this than what I thought before, and seeing everything first hand gave me new perspective on this particular aspect of the industry.”

Siba was also a proud sponsor of Tribute 2018. Congratulations to everyone who participated in the show—what a fantastic production!

Courage is a word that comes up often when talking to Tranisha Herrington. Tranisha, or Triggy, as she prefers, isn’t afraid of facing a challenge. And she thinks a positive outlook makes those challenges that much easier to conquer, “I think the courage to get up despite what life has thrown you is seeing life through rose-colored glasses in the best way possible. In fact, when it’s time for me to get new prescription glasses, they will be rose-tinted as a reminder to always see life as such.”

What this Siba graduate does see all around her are stories of bravery. From her own experience of taking the leap from corporate America into the life of a working artist, to the experiences of the African American women she profiles in her work, Triggy lives and breathes courage. Now, with an upcoming exhibit at St. Louis Lambert Airport, people are starting to take notice.

Triggy first realized her artistic ability at Siba while taking Perspective Drawing. Prior to taking that class, she describes herself as having had “tunnel vision” for the fashion industry. While in that drawing class, however, her instructor (and working artist), William LaChance, encouraged his students to pursue an artistic style that spoke to them. For Triggy that was pop art – and it was a revelation.

From that inspirational experience, Triggy began to form her artistic vision. The stippling effect of pop art appealed to her because she liked that the smaller dots worked together to contribute to a bigger vision. She was so inspired that she quit her 9-5 job to pursue her dreams. We spoke to Triggy at the outset of this brave, new adventure in 2016. “Life inspires me. Everyone has a story to tell, so I have lifetimes of material. I just need to keep up my courage to pursue it.” 

In the past few years, Triggy’s own artistry has gained momentum, which brings us to her latest series: SMILE. The series is a response to societal pressure for women to put on a mask—oftentimes a smile—despite the reality of their personal lives. Triggy was inspired by watching old-school television shows like Leave it to Beaver, The Jeffersons, and Good Times, where women were either portrayed in very one-dimensional roles or were faced with challenging the status quo. As Triggy remembers in The Jeffersons and Good Times in particular, “These shows depicted women of color in a light that had not previously been shown on primetime TV, with restrictions to the gender roles seen at that time.”

According to Triggy, for many multi-faceted women, herself included, it takes courage to wake up, face the day, and pursue your purpose – and that shouldn’t come with the added pressure of maintaining a façade. “Life isn’t always pretty. My message is to stop telling us what to do with our faces – we are already enough without having to add a smile.”

Soon her work will be on display at Lambert. The exhibit will feature six local African American women who were nominated for the portraiture, representing activists, leaders, and educators who are working to bring positive change to St. Louis, and particularly for the black community. In capturing their images, Triggy aims to also capture their “why”—the inner courage these women have to be a positive force in the community. 

We applaud Triggy’s own courage in pursuing her passion and telling the stories of women who are making a difference in St. Louis. Her series will be on display starting in March of 2019. You can check out Triggy’s ongoing work on her Instagram page and DM her for pricing. She’s also available by email at formulasvn@gmail.com.

St. Louis design competition Pins and Needles closed out its 10^th and final year with panache – thanks in part to the hard work of Siba student and alumni volunteers. The annual runway show showcased the work of scores of emerging fashion designers while providing them with media exposure and awarding cash prizes to the winners.

Dwight Carter, one of Siba’s talented adjunct instructors, is the CEO of Brainchild Events, the company that has produced the show from its inception in 2008. Along the way, Retail Management/Fashion Merchandising students and grads have had the invaluable experience of helping Carter execute his vision for the annual show. Their roles have included planning and implementing marketing strategies well before the event, as well as participating in day-of activities such as setting up the venue, dressing and directing the models, working on choreography and timing of the show, and guest and VIP relations.

This year, Danielle Calcara was among the volunteers who, along with her classmates in Siba’s Fashion Promotion class, also helped organize and host the “Designer Meet and Greet” event the day before the runway show. Rather than working on a fictitious project made up by an instructor to present in a classroom, this particular Fashion Promotion class had the opportunity to work together to coordinate vendors, designers, and models; identify, procure and prepare the event space; market and promote the event; and work at the event itself. Not only was it a fantastic resume-building and networking opportunity, but it was also clearly a meaningful learning experience for the class. As Calcara reflected, “I’ve learned that planning a large event takes months of advanced planning and diligence to stay on task and make sure everything comes together.”

The students’ work wasn’t done after the meet and greet, though—the runway competition was still to come the following night! Students and alumni worked both backstage with the models and designers and front-of-the-house coordinating guests and event sponsors. Calcara was working front-of-the house, “For the runway show I welcomed and checked in all guests at the door including ticket purchases and VIP guests, handling check-in through Eventbrite and using square for credit card payments. [It was] exciting, hectic and so much fun to be a part of!”

It was a memorable way to close out ten years of “Pins and Needles.” We’re so thankful for the opportunities the competition and Dwight Carter at Brainchild Events have offered to Siba students and alumni, and can’t wait to see what Carter’s next big fashion project will be. Whatever it is, we are confident that Siba Retail Management/Fashion Merchandising students and alumni will be jumping at the chance to participate!