By CHRISTIE L. CHICOINE
CS&T Staff Writer
Out of more than 450 entries, a classic green dress designed by Nicole
Serrano — a fourth-grader at St. Christopher School in the Far Northeast
— is the overall winner in the grade school division of The Catholic
Standard & Times’ Modest Fashion Design Contest.
“Really?” was the surprised reaction of 10-year-old Nicole,
on hearing that readers of The CS&T had voted her the winner. [See
Nicole’s winning design on page 18, along with the winning designs
for each grade.]
As she caught her breath, she added, “I’m just really excited
to be a part of this.”
Nicole is the oldest of three children of Oscar and Michelle Serrano of
St. Christopher Parish. All three go to St. Christopher School. Her brother,
Max, is a third-grader, and her sister, Angela, is in kindergarten.
“I really like dresses, so I did a dress,” Nicole said of
her winning design — a chartreuse dress adorned with dark pink flowers.
“It’s kind of like a spring outfit.”
She chose those colors, which are two of her personal favorites, because
they “go good together,” she said. Snazzy pink pumps and matching
nail polish complete the outfit.
Nicole used a pencil and marker to craft her winning design.
No matter what, it’s always important — and appropriate —
to dress modestly, Nicole said. And although she has a flair for fashion,
she understands that what’s inside a person — not the clothes
that persons wears — is what matters most.
That knowledge is reinforced by the teachers and administrators at her
school, a place where “everyone’s so nice,” she said.
It was through St. Christopher School that Nicole learned about the modest
fashion design contest.
“I thought that I should do it,” she said.
Now she will have an opportunity to work with Michele Fowler, a clothing
designer who teaches at Our Lady of Lourdes School in the Overbrook section
of Philadelphia, to make her dream design a reality.
Fowler came across a story about the contest in The CS&T, and volunteered
to help the winner sew her winning garment.
Nicole, whose favorite subject is social studies, said she would like
to be a designer or actress one day. When she’s not in school, she’s
busy dancing — hip hop, ballet, jazz and tap are among her specialties.
She also likes to shop for clothes.
And, of course, she loves to design — something she resorts to twice
a day, she said.
She uses 8 1/2-by-11-inch white paper, and enjoys coloring with crayons,
markers and sometimes, watercolors. Her favorite subjects are people and
flowers.
“I just like it because it’s really fun to do,” she
said.
Of the more than 450 entries in the grade school division’s modest
fashion design contest, CS&T staff members selected the finalists,
which were then voted on by readers.
Nicole acknowledged the fine work of her fellow contestants. “Their
designs were really, really good,” she said. “They should
just keep trying.”
CS&T Staff Writer Christie L. Chicoine may be reached at (215)
587-2468 or cchicoin@adphila.org.