PR Behind the Scenes of Kent State’s Burtonesque Fashion Show

By Amanda Hickey 

   Dim blue lights and purple ribbons loop along Rockwell Hall’s twin staircases. Tim Burton’s distorted “Beetlejuice” characters flank a monochrome screen. In the wings, designers and models of the Kent State Fashion School finish last-minute touches of work. The audience frames the runway and leans over the balcony of the steps, anxiously waiting for the start of the school’s fall fashion show and for the visions of Public Relations Manager Mia Dillon to come to life.

   PR strategies and tactics guided the success behind FSO’s semi-annual production, “Burtonesque: The Obscure Fantasy,” on Nov. 7, through Dillon’s creative direction.

  Dillion said the Fashion Student Organization’s vote for the Burtonesque theme in August was her proudest moment of work for the show.

   “I appreciate everyone’s opinion,” Dillon said. “It was really validating to see everyone excited about my idea.”

   Known for her bold, eerie style, Dillon said she drew inspiration from her favorite horror movies and TV shows, including “Twin Peaks,” to shape the Burtonesque aesthetic.

   “I didn’t want the show to be limited to Tim Burton though,” Dillon said. “That’s why it’s also called the Obscure Fantasy, like the ‘unknown.’” 

   After proposing the theme, Dillon translated the dark, whimsical concept into a visual identity by creating graphics, flyers and social media posts.

   “We changed FSO’s signature colors last semester to navy blue and pink,” Dillon said. “I felt the transition to Burtonesque on Instagram was easy, blending blacks and whites into content.”

   Dillon maintained consistency in the messages the audience received before designers and stylists debuted their outfits with her construction of the event pamphlets, a slideshow and a curated list of songs.

   “There’s two different playlists: one that runs before the show, and one that plays when it starts,” said Dillon. “I have to make sure they play at the right time and transition properly.”

   In the days leading up to Burtonesque, the FSO executive board coordinated every detail from planning the models’ routes to the placement of decorations, and Dillon monitored the impact.

   Dillon said observation and note-taking during the show fits into the group’s broader internal review process for guiding future events.

   The executive board thanked around 300 attendees, and Dillon honored the judges with bouquets.

   “It really just came to life exactly the way I wanted it to,” Dillon said.