Powered by The Fashion Network (TFN) in partnership with the Siebel Center for Design (SCD) - The Circular Fashion Exposition (CFE.4) is the fourth The University of Illinois’ premiere exposition for the new generation of fashion futurists. The Circular Fashion Expo is an event designed to bring all of the elements of a circular fashion system into one, epic event so that the campus community & local stakeholders can collectively create a thriving circular economy. The day-long exposition features the following events:
Clothing Swap — donations are received & tracked. People can donate their preloved things, then buy any number of garments and only pay a small swap fee.
Vendors — from artist to jewelers to students simply selling what they pulled from their wardrobes.
Upcycling Services & Workshops — 1-on-1 sessions to teach visitors the basics of garment repair like sewing, stitching, & patching.
Interactive Art Installation — completely constructed with recycled materials, visitors can walk through an interactive exhibit and contribute to a collective installment piece.
Runway Performances & Design Competition — an epic finale to the day-long experience with 100+ models representing different modeling/photography/fashion organizations on campus and a prize pool for fashion designers to compete with upcycled & zero-waste looks in the Design Competition portion.
Live Music — a full schedule of live music throughout the day of the event.
Community Building & Networking — a once-semester opportunity to engage with the student body and greater CU area in conversation and action surrounding the circular economy, impact of circular living, and community supporting these efforts
Sims spearheaded and coordinated a promotional photoshoot, where she assumed responsibility for styling and photographing models to generate content for The Circular Fashion Exposition’s promotional materials. She developed the conceptual vision for the shoot, collaborating closely with each model to capture the desired visuals. Sims also handled the post-production process, editing the images and designing promotional posters, which were subsequently distributed both physically around the UIUC campus and digitally across various social media platforms.
Sims was responsible for designing all advertising-related materials, deliverables, posters, banners, the program, graphics, etc. for the day-of and in preparation for the fashion-oriented event.
(1) EVENT PROGRAM —> DIGITALLY DISTRIBUTED / PRESENTED AT VENUE
(1) 272 X 54-inch ‘CIRCULAR FASHION EXPO’ BANNER
(3) 100 X 50-inch ‘C F E’ BANNERS
(4) 54 X 54-inch VERTICAL ‘CIRCULAR FASHION EXPO’ BANNERS
(6) 6 X 2-foot STATION BANNERS
(30) 8.5 X 11-inch POSTERS —> 1000+ COPIES DISPERSED ON CAMPUS
Sims' primary focus leading up to CFE.4 included graphic design, PR, branding, runway direction, and all advertising-related responsibilities. Building on her work from the previous semester's CFE.3 rebrand, Sims integrated the updated logo, typefaces, and design elements into the CFE.4 theme, "A Camp Sensibility." She balanced these duties with her role as Design Director for The Fashion Network (TFN) while being a full-time student, preparing for the event over the course of three months.
Sims collaborated with the creative team to develop and execute the runway theme, creating mood boards and styling TFN models. She also directed a promotional photoshoot, designing the concept, styling models, capturing images, editing them, and producing posters and digital content to promote the event across campus and social media. Sims updated the CFE.4 Instagram by shifting from the previous black-and-white theme to a vibrant, cohesive color palette while maintaining consistent design elements such as typeface and layout.
She designed all banners, posters, and digital advertising materials, ensuring proper branding across physical and digital platforms. In addition to her design responsibilities, Sims co-directed TFN’s portion of the runway show, managing rehearsals, directing models, and ensuring smooth execution of the runway. She also styled and walked the runway alongside other directors and models.
Sims was featured in multiple interviews, including articles by The Daily Illini and an appearance on Good Morning Illini, where she discussed her role in CFE.4 and The Circular Fashion Exposition.