Lauren Mellor and two other fashion design students from Auburn recently submitted their wedding dress designs for consideration in the War Eagle Wedding dress contest. Mellor submitted the winning dress design, and her gown, dubbed the Wreagle gown, will be worn by the bride on her big day.

1) How long have you been designing clothes and what got you started?

I have been sewing since I can remember. All throughout high school I was constantly altering my clothes or designing something, and that's when I realized that design was what I wanted to study in college. I got recruited to Auburn University to play volleyball, and the first thing I checked was if they had a design program, which thankfully they did. I absolutely loved studying apparel design at Auburn and am so thankful for all of the wonderful teachers I had that really helped me to expand my skills as a designer.

2) A wedding dress is a pretty big project. Have you every had to put together an outfit of that scale before? How was this different from other things you've designed?

This past summer I had an internship with a custom bridal boutique. All summer I fit and sewed wedding dresses for clients. It was such a great experience for me and something that definitely helped me to refine my design and construction skills. I also made a wedding dress for my Advanced Design class last fall.

3) What do you know about the couple getting married?

I honestly don't know much about the couple except from what I've seen on their application video. They seem like a great couple though and the perfect pair to get married on Samford Lawn. I can't wait to meet them.

4) How did it feel when you heard you'd won?

Words can describe how excited I was when I saw that I had won. I couldn't stop smiling all week. I feel so blessed to be a part of the War Eagle Wedding in this way.

5) Are you going to enter future contests as well?

I love to design, so I'm sure I will always be looking for ways that I can do that. Currently I am working on a dress for the ITAA competition. It will be much different than the wedding contest, however, as I plan to design and construct a dress out of wood veneer.

6)How do you think winning the contest will help you achieve your goals as a designer?

The War Eagle Wedding is an opportunity that I could have only dreamed of. I’ve always loved wedding dresses, and actually the reason I got into design was because I wanted to design wedding dresses. I know that I will only benefit from this opportunity and that it can only help me as I continue to achieve my goals as a designer.