Sketching in the vacant and well-lit tier seven of Parks Library, while listening to the background music of songs by Florence and the Machine and Mumford & Sons, gave one quirky design student inspiration to design her senior clothing line.

“I have these headphones that only play the background music to songs,” said Erika Smith, senior in apparel, merchandising and design, “I love that because then I don’t focus on the words, but I still get excited when I know the song that is playing.”

The designer’s line, Botanical, is set to be in The Fashion Show on April 13, 2013, and features her designs inspired by botanical drawings from the 1800’s.

“I’ve always loved sketching,” Smith said, “and just recently I figured out that I like to study up on what inspires me.”

Smith explained that for her senior line, she pulled inspiration from science and agriculture books and used tracing paper to trace images she liked; the designer was particularly inspired by illustrations of dissected plants.

“They were all hand-painted and just interesting,” Smith said. “It was art, but at the same time it was science — I love that mixture.”

The design student compiled the images she had on tracing paper into her sketch book and began drawing models wearing garments inspired by the botanical drawings — ironically, one model she drew resembles Erica Riha, senior in interior design.

“It’s so weird that I drew that before I picked my models,” Smith commented on the similarity of her original sketch and Riha, one of Smith’s models for the upcoming Fashion show.

Along with Riha, Mollie Naig, senior in graphic design, and Kelli Houston, sophomore in pre-business, will be modeling Smith’s senior line, which consists of two dresses, a styled tank top and a pair of pants.

“Originally I picked taller models and they all were blonde,” Smith said. “Then I looked at my dresses and I looked at my models and I was like you know, I want them to stand out; I want them to have a quirky look.”

Smith explained that because her typical target market isn’t mainstream, she wanted models to represent her unique line.

“I wanted my models to have a personality,” Smith said. “It’s more than just wearing my clothes.”

Smith’s target market, as she described, is a person who enjoys interesting fabrics, is adventurous and appreciates art.

“As a design student, I am very impressed by Erika’s inspiration with old botanical prints,” Riha, a fellow art lover, said and admitted that the two have a lot in common. “Oddly enough I have a small collection of textbook botanical prints that I use to decorate with, so when she told me her concept I knew that I would like her designs.”

Smith’s designs feature the botanical prints, organic cotton and brass buttons, which she said she thinks have an antique look, like the original drawings that inspired her.

“I love picking out fabrics and I like picking out the closures and stuff; but I love sketching,” Smith stressed. “I just like to imagine a lot. It might not make sense to other people, but it makes sense to me on paper.”

Besides sketching, Smith said she enjoys working in the sewing lab with her classmates.

“I’ve gotten so much better at designing because of my classmates and my teachers,” Smith said. “That’s big. I don’t know if I would still be in this major if I didn’t have the girls giving me feedback.”

Riha said, as a model, she met with Smith for five 30-minute fittings.

“She would ask if I felt that the dress fit in places rather than just going by what she thought,” Riha described her collaboration with Smith.

Riha said that she is excited to finally get on the runway and show off Smith’s collection.

“During the show you’ll have to make sure the lining is down,” Smith said as she addressed the last-minute details of the dress Riha was wearing at their last fitting together.

The designer admitted she is nervous for her designs to be featured in The Fashion Show on April 13, but said she is also excited to see her classmates’ work come to life.

“It sounds like super cliche,” Smith smiled, “but really, it’s going to be magical.”