AMES, Iowa -- The 26th Annual Textiles and Clothing Fashion Show, which annually showcases more than 100 garments created by Iowa State University students, will be held on Friday, April 25, in ISU's Stephens Auditorium. This year's show will also feature work by guest designer Todd Snyder, a 1992 ISU graduate who is vice president of menswear design for J. Crew.
The event will have a showcase exhibit of student portfolios and mounted pieces at 5:30 p.m., with the runway show scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
Tickets are $15 for students and $20 for adults -- with a 10 percent discount for groups of six or more -- and available online through Ticketmaster (http://www.ticketmaster.com), or in-person through the ticket office at Stephens Auditorium's north entrance. The office is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
ISU's Textiles and Clothing Fashion Show first began in 1982 in front of a small audience in MacKay Auditorium. The event has grown to become the biggest show of its kind in Iowa, and one of the largest in the Midwest. This is the fourth year that it will be held at Stephens Auditorium, where the show is now drawing more than 2,000 in attendance.
The student-produced show highlights apparel design students' work, along with student event production and management skills. Any ISU student, regardless of major, can participate in the show. Directors and committee members are chosen from over 50 applicants. ISU students also audition to become models in the show.
"We try and design the show to appear like any you'd see from the fashion industry in a major city, with the exception being that it is completely student-run," said Francesca Skwark, a senior apparel, merchandising, design and production (AMDP) major from Rockford, Ill., who is one of the show's three co-producers. "It's actually a bigger production than you'd see in a major fashion industry show."
Student garments are judged by a panel of professionals from the fashion world who have graduated from Iowa State University. They use industry standards to select designs that will be included in the show, and choose the award-winners. This year's judges are Lisa Rothgeb, technical designer, Target; Erin Wignall, head women's designer, Obey Clothing; and Lisa Ann Dodge, vice president for merchandising, Topson Downs. Judging will take place on Saturday, April 5.
Both men's wear and women's wear are showcased on the runway in categories ranging from evening wear, to casual wear, to experimental design.
The event annually features the professional collection of an Iowa State alumnus. A Huxley native, Snyder was nicknamed "J. Crew" while he attended Iowa State according to a 2005 Time magazine article that cited him for being part of the label's recent resurgence in the fashion industry. J. Crew has expanded by branching out and creating new lines, including one named "Madewell" that will be launched this fall.
"We are extremely excited to have Todd at the show this year," said Payam Imani, a senior AMDP major from West Des Moines, another co-producer of the show.
"The directors and committee members of The Fashion Show 2008 are aiming to make this year's show the best ever," said Kelsey Nation, the show's other co-producer who is an AMDP major from Ogden, Iowa. "It will truly be a chance for Iowa to really experience industry-level fashion. Not only is it going to be a runway show, but a performance, and a unique and amazing experience for viewers."
Additional information is available at www.thefashionshow2008.com.
