SNR 38: More Technological Than Ever Before

Directors of SNR (Top left to bottom right): Aidan Donnelly, Sarah Jacobs, Archie Coueslant, Laura Kelton, Maddie Baron, Deniz Coskun, Ellie Thomas, Becca Defrancesco, and Lily Malpass. Photo Courtesy of Rebecca Defrancesco '24

The Silver Needle Runway (SNR), since 1984 at Marist College, has given students a way to demonstrate their work on the professional runway.

With a new conceptualized theme for each edition, this year has continued the trend by allowing a new group of accomplished seniors to share their talents on a widespread scale. 

“It's a completely student-run fashion show that showcases the talent of many young designers, merchandising majors, and marketing majors trying to make it in the fashion industry,” said Digital Director Archie Coueslant ‘24. “I love that the show is student-run, but I want to push out the idea that people can’t tell it is student-run. I want people to know that it is a professional fashion show that people from all over New York and the country can come to, not just students who know people in the show.”

Marist students with majors of all kinds, including Communications, Fashion Merchandising, and Digital Media, have come together to collectively design the SNR 38. “The students do everything from concept to completion,” said Production Director Lily Malpass ‘24. While these students all study different majors, the groups involved can work interpersonally with each other to develop a central theme to be conveyed on the runway. 

Silver Needle Runway 36. Photo Courtesy of Rebecca Defrancesco '24

“It's more than a fashion show. It’s taking this message that we feel passionate about and pushing it out to the community,” said Creative Director Rebecca Defrancesco ‘24. “Most times, we realize that everyone else feels passionately about it, too.”

The theme has yet to be disclosed, but the directors of the upcoming show, such as Coueslant, Malpass, and Defrancesco, can give insight into what to expect.

SNR 38 has a large number of technological plans to explore this year. As times have changed, technology in society has, too, especially under the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. SNR strives for improvement each year and wants to use this change to better the quality of its program. 

“Last year was our first show since the pandemic that we were able to do everything full out. Now, it’s how can we do it fully, but at a level that’s never been done before,” said Defrancesco.

To accomplish their goals, each team has taken on important roles to ensure the process goes smoothly from start to finish. “The Production Team is in charge of the physical production of the show,” said Malpass. “Getting the models out on the runway and dealing with professional models, making sure the garments are good to be put on.”

The Creative Team deals with more visuals, composing what the viewers see. “As creative director, my main job is creating the theme and presenting it to my other directors to work together,” said Defrancesco. “My main role is designing the entire runway space in terms of layout, lighting, and taking the message we want to convey with our theme and putting it on the runway.” 

The Digital Creative Team does the scenes and promotional portions of SNR. “Digital media creative director involves all things digital, such as videos and photos,” said Coueslant. “When it comes to things related to the theme, I’m in charge of doing promotional episodes, fashion shows, virtual episodes, lookbook photos, all things like that.”

Though the show is only in development, the directors already feel strongly that the show’s outcome will be extremely impressive. One of the reasons they feel this way is due to the strong bond the directors have, letting them work flawlessly together without conflict.

“We have one of the best dynamics I have ever seen in a group of people running a show,” said Defrancesco. “We are genuinely all best friends.”

As the year continues, the SNR team will reveal more, and eventually, the Marist community will get to see what the program has in store. In the end, they hope to, in the words of Defrancesco, “take the show to a level that, a few years ago, people would have never thought it could have been taken.”