THE 2011 COLLECTION

Each dress tells a story.

Fashion show video (from Picnic Day).

THE 2012 COLLECTION

See the designers and their dresses.

UC Davis students have once again designed stunning gowns in sync with the national Red Dress project, reminding women to protect their heart health.

The students are due to unveil their designs on Friday (Feb. 3), during the Women’s Heart Care Education and Awareness Forum for Community Leaders. The UC Davis Women’s Cardiovascular Medicine Program presents the forum in Sacramento annually, and for each one since 2010 the program has commissioned a collection of Red Dresses from the Department of Design.

Design with a message is nothing new to the Department of Design.

“As design shapes our daily lives and social experiences, we encourage the integration of social issues and other life factors in creative practice,” said lecturer Adele Zhang, who mentors UC Davis' Red Dress designers.

“The Red Dress project perfectly lands on this aspect of design," she said, "providing a platform for the students to deliver a positive message to raise awareness while they learn fashion design and construction techniques.”

The Red Dress is "a powerful symbol for raising awareness that heart disease is the leading killer of women," said Zhang, who brought UC Davis into the project three years ago.

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute sponsors the Red Dress project, which is the centerpiece of the institute's Heart Truth campaign — described as a personal and urgent wakeup call to women about their risk of heart disease.

Student designs in particular are useful in getting the word out to a younger demographic. And that can make a big difference, UC Davis cardiologist Amparo Villablanca said.

"Involving students helps more women — including women in their 20s — have those important conversations and realize that prevention today can add years to their lives," said Villablanca, director of the Women's Cardiovascular Medicine Program.

THE DRESSES: 2011 AND 2012

Three of UC Davis’ Red Dresses from the 2011 collection are on display in lobby of the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts. The designers — Lucia Carrousel, Ellen Griesemer and David Lee, all of whom graduated last spring — donated their creations to the university’s Design Collection.

The display is scheduled to run through February (American Heart Month) and continue until March 16.

The unveiling of the 2012 collection is scheduled for Friday (Feb. 3) as part of the seventh annual Women’s Heart Care Education and Awareness Forum for Community Leaders, presented by the Women's Cardiovascular Medicine Program. This invitation-only event is held each year on National Wear Red Day.