Story by Bridgette McAuliffe, Staff writer

Photo by Nora Crafton/The News

A Murray State student and Kentucky native is pushing the boundaries of fashion as he displays his own designs on social media and across western Kentucky.

Roby Joe Blackwell, junior from Mayfield, Kentucky, is an aspiring fashion designer studying art. Blackwell spent his first semester of college at the Art Institute in Nashville, Tennessee, before transferring to Murray State. With a focus in printmaking, he has been able to utilize Murray State’s resources to pursue his passions.

“The printmaking professor, Nicole Hand, has really let me make clothes and print on the clothing just to get more of what I want to do even though we don’t have a specific fashion design program here,” Blackwell said.

He has featured his designs in seasonal fashion shows where he recruits friends and fellow Murray State students to model his pieces. His first show was in May 2016.

“My aunt taught me how to sew six months prior to the fashion show, and there’s been two fashion shows since that,” Blackwell said.

He has donated a portion of the proceeds at each show to a charity and is currently working on pieces for his spring 2018 collection. Blackwell said he plans to host this show in the Curris Center ballroom, where Murray State students will have the opportunity to see fashion they may otherwise not be exposed to and support their fellow Murray State students.

“There’s going to be lots of color and lots of mixing of patterns,” Blackwell said.

He hopes to involve as many students as possible in this show.

“The idea is to invite two girls from each sorority [to model] and whoever brings the most members, I’m going to donate part of the proceeds to their philanthropy,” Blackwell said.

Milli Cecil, sophomore from Louisville, Kentucky, met Blackwell through their printmaking class and is his newest model.

“I’m just there to help him in whatever he needs, whether it’s modeling, helping him in the print shop or just being there to support him,” Cecil said.

Cecil has now been in three photoshoots for mini-collections for their class.

Ellie Brower, junior from Paducah, Kentucky, met Blackwell through one of his models, a mutual friend, and was soon asked to model for two of Blackwell’s shows.

“I had seen his designs before at one of his shows and wanted to be as involved as I could,” Brower said. “I found it fascinating meeting somebody like him that I could see working in New York one day, working with big fashion designers. Seeing the eye he has for fashion was really inspiring.”

Instagram is the platform Blackwell said has been his “best friend” through this process, especially for his first show.

“I definitely had nightmares that no one would come, especially because it’s something so different than what anyone has done around here,” Blackwell said. “But, it was a huge success. Over 100 people showed up. It’s now become a culture thing, almost a meme of ‘Roby Joe Shows.’”

His first show was at the flower shop where he works in downtown Paducah, Flower + Furbish.

“It was almost like my wedding morning it seemed because there were all these flowers and chairs and girls were getting their makeup done around me,” Blackwell said. “It was quite a circus, but it was fun and it’s all I want to do.”

Blackwell dreams of becoming the next Ralph Lauren, a household name who just celebrated 50 years of being an established American designer.

“I mean, what a legacy to create such a name,” Blackwell said.

To view his designs and to purchase individual pieces, visit Blackwell’s instagram,   @robyjoee.