You know what they say: a woman's old missing earring is another woman's new and fabulous necklace.

This saying couldn't be any truer for members of SF State's Fashion Network Association.

Armed with more than fifteen pounds of tangled necklaces, unpaired earrings and other unwanted jewelry, FNA members have re-constructed and created new pieces as a part of their Re-Designed Jewelry Show to benefit the Apparel Design and Merchandising's (ADM) annual spring fashion show, Runway 2010: Nouvelle.

"It's amazing to see what designers can do with a bunch of tangled up old jewelry," biology major and self-proclaimed jewelry fanatic Jackie Parrenas, 22, said. "Their imagination is limitless and you can see that through their new designs. Sometimes, it can even be better than the original."

For the past three weeks, FNA members collected jewelry from students and staff members, as well as thrift stores and local boutiques like Y and I and Ver Unica, to manipulate and re-work into modern and avant-garde pieces.

With a mountain of jewelry in front of them, they went to work.

Flexing her design muscles, FNA Events Coordinator and ADM major Kadee Hilliker, 18, created a collection of trendy headbands by adhering single, unpaired earrings to scraps of fabric, feathers and ribbon wrapped around old headbawnds, producing an entirely different look out of recycled material.

Similarly, FNA member and Hospitality Management major Jamie Edwards, 23, fashioned an original three-tiered necklace by attaching a vintage brooch to several strands of a broken pearl necklace creating a lavaliere and adding a few pieces of artisan ribbon to fasten everything together.

"Everyone loves vintage stuff, so it's really cool to see old vintage pieces updated to a more funky, modern standard," ADM major Tiffany Ngo, 20, said. "Re-design is really challenging and it's a great way for designers to come up with really innovative ways to use old jewelry."

The show's theme of re-working old materials to create something new and more modern mirrors the current organizational changes the FNA is going through.

Previously known as the Student Fashion Association, FNA changed their name to better represent the alumni that they work with, as well as the fashion industry they work for, according to FNA's Public Relations Officer Mindy Trisko.

This semester, the organization assumed a new direction with a fresh set of ideas, including the circulation of a brand new e-publication called "Fashion Files," which will feature current fashion trends, style advice, upcoming industry events and even coupons and job postings.

Continuing the theme, ADM's spring fashion show, Nouvelle, which means "new" in French, will feature more than 30 student designers showcasing original collections of 7-8 pieces or up to 3 individual pieces.

The show will also showcase designs created by children aged 6-13 from Wee Scotty, a sewing facility designed to teach children how to design and sew their own clothes.
Runway 2010: Nouvelle will be held on Thursday, April 22 at the Galleria San Francisco Design Center. Tickets can be purchased online at for $15-$25.