Many girls at Mercy have a passion for fashion, and now with a new, creative competition, they have a way to showcase it. Every year, Mercy’s Mothers Club holds the a fashion show, an event which allows mothers and daughters to gather together to honor the club by walking the runway.

The event will continue, but this year, the fashion show has a twist.  Mercy’s Fashion club, run by junior co-directors Angel Bell and Jasmine Williams, has been asked to participate in the festivities with a contest. The guidelines of the contest are quite simple. Students will be supplied with a used Mercy uniform and asked to created a fashion piece from it. Those participating in the creativity have until Dec. 11 to create their masterpiece, which can be anything from an accessory to a blouse, as long as the used uniform is included in the creation.

“This contest is a way to showcase the girls’ creativity, sense of personal style, and their personality through their clothing,” said junior Asabea Kirkland. “I have always loved fashion, but I never thought to pursue designing. This is a great way for me to test the waters and see if I could pursue design in the future.”

Though the Mothers Club specifically invited the girls in Fashion club to participate, the contest is available for those who are not a part of the club as well. Junior Ciara Lopus is not a member of the club, but chose to participate in the design competition.

“Even though I’m not in Fashion club, I decided to participate in this contest because I like to sew,” said Lopus. “I have made some clothes in the past, so I thought this would be fun. I also love Project Runway, so why not?”

Lopus is interested in the contest because it involves something she is passionate about, and something that she loves to do. Lopus is an example of what this contest represents: girls sharing their passion for fashion with the world, and portraying who they are as a person through their creations.

The competition allows students to let their creativity and talent shine through, as they cut and sew their way to the top. This challenge has another incentive, however. Three winners will be selected by members of the Mothers Club and Mercy staff members. The grand prize winner receives a $100 Nordstrom gift card, the second place winner will get a $75 Aeropostale gift card, and the third place winner will receive a $50 Forever 21 gift card.

The top three winning pieces will be displayed on the runway, by either the creator or another model, at the fashion show on Jan. 9, where each lucky student will receive her prize.