Last month, Virginia celebrated the inauguration of the commonwealth’s first female governor. For students, faculty and alumni in VCUarts, the historic event also offered an opportunity to showcase their talents, from designing custom jewelry and illustrations to imagining attire for the ceremony and inaugural ball.
VCU adjunct’s jewelry gives Spanberger a shine at historic inauguration
As an artist and jeweler with her own online shop, VCU alum and adjunct faculty member Mallory Martin-Parker (B.F.A. ’22) is used to custom requests. But none was as daunting as her most recent project: making jewelry for Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger to wear at her historic inauguration on Jan. 17.
Shortly before Thanksgiving, the now-governor’s team reached out to Kimberly Guthrie, chair of the Department of Fashion Design + Merchandising.
“At first, they wondered about the possibility of a garment being made” by someone at VCU, Guthrie said. But designing and creating a new dress was not possible in such a short time frame, so she suggested embellishing an existing garment instead—and connected Spanberger’s team with Martin-Parker.
“Mallory’s work features beautiful embellishment designs, and she was teaching the embellishment course” at VCUarts, Guthrie said. “I suggested Mallory because of her talent but also because of her professionalism. I knew she would follow through and not disappoint. She shared her proposal deck with me, and I was so impressed and excited.”
The embellishment idea morphed into custom jewelry.
Martin-Parker specifically designed each piece for Spanberger, whose team wanted everything to be Virginia-inspired for the state’s 75th governor and its first female chief executive. The artist looked to the state flower, bird and largest river— dogwood, cardinal and James, respectively—for inspiration. She even incorporated kyanite into some of her designs, as Virginia is home to the largest kyanite mine in the world.
“I was shocked and so excited at the possibility of the collaboration. I’m so thankful it all worked out,” Martin-Parker said.
From sketches Martin-Parker sent, Spanberger chose the dogwood brooch—the artist’s favorite—to wear to her inauguration at Capitol Square, and the kyanite necklace with curving lines reminiscent of the James River to wear at the inaugural ball that evening.
The Spanberger jewelry is an early career highlight for Martin-Parker, who is only 25 and whose fashion trek
started in earnest at age 14 when she made herself a dress for a school dance, a feat she repeated for her senior prom.
“I have always had an interest in the arts and was always painting as a child and teenager,” Martin-Parker said. “I started off at VCU as a psych major but quickly realized I needed to be a fashion major instead. In my freshman dorm—Rhoads Hall—I often played around with wire and other jewelry-making tools. I would make earrings for myself and my friends.
“Shortly after I started experimenting with jewelry, I started an Instagram page and began to sell my work. Years later I got more serious about it and started an Etsy page, GroveStAccessories.”
Overall, Martin-Parker designed six pieces for the governor, as well as a necklace and earrings for the governor’s mother, Eileen Davis.
Students vie to dress—or at least impress—the governor
There may not have been time for VCU students to create the governor’s attire for the two marquee events—the swearing-in ceremony and the inaugural ball—but that didn’t mean they couldn’t have fun designing the outfits.
In collaboration with the Spanberger Inauguration Committee, the fashion department held an informal “fashion competition” the first week of classes. Even with the quick turnaround, 23 students rose to the challenge and used their creativity, research and technical skills to deliver thoughtful and impactful work under real-world constraints.
“This opportunity highlights the interdisciplinary strength of VCUarts Fashion, showcasing how design and merchandising students bring distinct yet complementary perspectives to real-world creative projects,” Guthrie said. “The result is a collection of work that reflects both adaptability and innovation across disciplines.”
Alumna’s illustrations shine throughout the electoral process
In 2024, Communication Arts alum and VCUarts admissions counselor Asia Rorick (B.F.A. ’24) went viral for her “I voted” sticker featuring an opossum at the ballot box after her design won a competition hosted by the Richmond Office of Elections. This year, she was asked to develop an illustration for a later stage of the electoral process.
Spanberger’s team approached Rorick to create an illustration of the state capitol for use on printed formal invitations and gifts to the inaugural team and donors. They were particularly interested in a Richmond artist who could bring a personal connection to the location.
“I really believe that the local RVA community—especially the arts community—was the biggest reason I received this opportunity and is what brought me so much artistic recognition,” Rorick says.
Rorick also says her experience in Communication Arts prepared her for the opportunity. It’s where she first discovered an interest in children’s illustration, where she started to build her professional network, and where she developed her creative process and planning skills.
“I also learned the importance of filling my online portfolio with work that I enjoy and find important to me,” she says. “This is the work people see and—ideally—want to hire you for.”
