My name is Frances Brunner, and I am from Louisville, Kentucky. I am currently in my senior year as a BFA Fashion Design major at Kent State University.
Raised in a strict household, I always felt a ceiling in what I was able to express creatively. With this mindset, I had conformed to the idea of taking a “safer” route in aspiring to become a stock broker.
However, I was first introduced to the idea of fashion by conversing over an entrepreneurial dream to create a fashion brand called “Frank & Glenn” with my childhood best friend, Mary Glenn, in high school. Several days later, I was called down to the principal's office with the news that my best friend had attempted suicide and would pass away several days later. Shocked with grief, I took to embroidery to cope, selling T-shirts to her friends under the name "Frank & Glenn” and donating them to The Pete Foundation for mental health awareness.
In healing from such a tragic loss, I find gratitude for how that loss has shaped me as a person and influenced how I show up daily on a personal and professional level. I see how it has made me recognize how much each present moment, relationship, and opportunity matters and that every human deserves to feel seen, heard and loved.
This experience helped push me to personally define what it means to live life more fully.
These lessons catapulted me into exploring how I can communicate this passion and purpose through fashion, thus guiding me to pursue a degree in fashion design at Kent State University.
I entered Kent State with a few years of sewing under my belt, but I felt insecure that I would find my place in fashion, especially as a designer. However, I was surprised at how welcoming and supportive the Kent State Fashion School community was.
The program and professors really met me where I was professionally, and I found that although always motivating, the program only challenged me as much as I challenged myself.
I believe that adopting this self-responsibility to grow is an invaluable mindset that will allow anyone to continue to excel post-graduation.
My early years within the program were fundamental in building a strong foundation in skills such as fashion illustration, fashion visuals, sewing and construction, critical thinking, effective communication and more. This time allowed me to confidently execute my creative vision and purpose as I was given more opportunities to creatively express myself in my years as an upperclassman.
I was always engaged as a student and excited to continue my pursuit of fashion at Kent State, so I was surprised to have taken an unplanned gap year post-sophomore year to live in Kauai, Hawaii. In the absence of fashion, it ironically reestablished my love for the profession. My time in Kauai allowed me to find and trust my inner voice, further define my purpose in fashion, and, inspired by the Hawaiian’s loving and respectful relationship with their land, reinforce the necessity for sustainable solutions and mindsets in fashion.
It showed me a new holistic perspective of humanity, body, mind and soul, and of sustainability from design to production to consumer. Adopting these new mindsets and experiences for my personal life inspired me with a vision to inspire holistic internal awareness in the individual that, in my hope, will inspire their personal wellness journey and the wellness of the planet.
After my time in Hawaii, I pursued an internship in New York City. Faced with the difficult realities of the fashion industry – such as dopamine-depleting consumeristic habits and the glamorization of cold leadership styles, all at the expense of earth's precious resources and the exploitation of workers – it felt like a harsh contrast to my life in Kauai and threatened my love for fashion. However, I knew that change would not happen if I turned my back on the cries of the industry.
I was excited to return to Kent State University to finish my degree and reintroduce myself to fashion again.
I was re-embraced by the same welcoming, supportive, and creative community I had received when I first began my journey at Kent State.
In my first semester back, I focused heavily on sustainable textile research in hopes of applying for national and international scholarships introduced to me by my professors, Archana Metha and Kendra Lapolla. I also got involved with Black Squirrel Radio to host my own podcast, MindOn Design, exploring conversations with creatives.
I compiled my research in sustainable textiles to apply for scholarship applications while studying abroad in Florence, Italy.
The experience of studying abroad was absolutely fundamental to my confidence as a designer.
We were encouraged to take our own creative initiative by giving support to pursue what we wanted as designers, instilling trust and confidence in my creative direction that I will carry with me for a lifetime. The immersive cultural experience was eye-opening and allowed me to see and connect beyond the “world” I once knew. It inspired further compassion, exploration and conversation with the global community.
I was awarded as a finalist by the Redress Design Awards at the end of my semester abroad. I then constructed a sustainable collection of four pieces and one digital design. Through this experience, I was granted the opportunity to present my collection on the international stage in Hong Kong.
Immersed in world-class knowledge and opportunities surrounding sustainability in fashion, I was ecstatic to apply the perspective gained to my senior BFA collection. I have felt extremely supported in my sustainable initiatives and holistic perspective of design throughout the BFA process.
As I reflect on my time at Kent, I have immense gratitude for how Kent has given me a welcoming environment to express myself on a professional and personal level. I am grateful for Kent State’s opportunities that helped me grow holistically as a designer and a person. I am excited to carry the lessons, support and community I received at Kent throughout my career and lifetime.