The two worlds of art and fashion came together at the Promenade Gallery in Anaheim to kick off Unseamingly OC: Fashion and Art Collide, with Cal State Fullerton actively represented at the event.

The non-profit Orange County Fashion Association collaborated with the Promenade Gallery to organize the opening reception and mixer for the fashion-inspired art show Saturday, which will continue to be on display through April 2.

Marketing director and one of the founders of OCFA Aileen Holmes showcased her work at the show. Apart from working for eight years in the fashion industry as a creative service provider, the youthful 32-year-old artist enrolled at CSUF this semester to pursue a degree in illustration.
"I believe that there is no limit to when you can return to school," she said.

She showcased two art wood panel paintings at the show that were inspired by "confident women who are comfortable in their own skin."

She believes that art and fashion have always supported each other and the OC Unseamingly event presents a tribute to this interdependence by showcasing beauty and style-themed artwork.

The event also aimed to promote OCFA, which was formed eight months ago to support local talent and build a strong network in Orange County's fashion industry.

"We wanted to bring together Orange County's fashion community to create valuable synergies emerging designers, the industry and the consumer," said Julia Tudor, president of OCFA.

Army Nix, OCFA's director of media relations, also exhibited her collection of fashion greeting cards at the show, which were handcrafted by using scraps of vintage fabrics.

"I've been creating these cards for the last six years and I mostly use discarded vintage fabrics," said Nix. "It not only recycles fashion but also creates unique cards."

Tracey Taylor, director of the ARTery Gallery at The Lab in Costa Mesa, has curated the works of the artists whose works are shown at the group exhibition.

"I work with local emerging artists and students from L.A., but my focus is on the Orange County community," said Taylor.

Besides Holmes, a current student at CSUF, part-time English instructor at Fullerton College and CSUF alumnus Jesse La Tour also displayed his art images at the show that were created using Photoshop.

The opening reception also had DJ sets and live artists on the site to entertain guests, along with raffle drawings and refreshments.

The gallery hours for the rest of the exhibit stretch will be Thursdays from noon to 7 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m.

The gallery is located on 203 Center St. Promenade in Anaheim.