Jay R. Turner's
research helps set appropriate air-quality standards
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Jay R. Turner's research helps set appropriate air-quality standards |
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73rd annual
Fashion Show May 5 By Liam Otten
The fully choreographed, Paris-style extravaganza features dozens of professional and volunteer models wearing more than 100 outfits created by eight seniors and 11 juniors in the School of Art's fashion design program. The show kicks off with a reception at 7:30 p.m. in the Galleria's Garden Court, located near the entrance to Lord & Taylor. The main event gets under way at 8 p.m. and is followed by a dessert reception for the designers and audience, during which many of the featured couture creations will be available for purchase. "Every year, there's something we do as a class that ends up also being the big push in fashion," said Jeigh Singleton, head of fashion design. "Right now, all the buzz on the runways in New York is about quilts; we already did quilt-inspired ball gowns back in October. It's not that we pay any attention to fashion forecasts, it just happens that way." Aside from quilts, themes this year include "Think Pink" (from the famous dance number in Audrey Hepburn's 1957 film Funny Face), tropical sportswear, dress groups and theater coats and gowns. As in previous years, the highlight of the evening will be the seniors' signature collections, in which each student creates a fully realized line of clothing, with the grand finale being a single wedding dress, selected by competition.
The Fashion Show is chaired by 1976 alumna Susan Block and organized by a committee of volunteers. Clothing is chosen by a jury of professional designers, University faculty and leaders in the clothing industry. Outstanding student designers are recognized with a variety of scholarships, cash prizes and awards. Last year, more than 500 people attended the event. This also marks the eighth year of collaboration between Washington University and Saint Louis Galleria. Singleton believes the popular retail site makes an ideal venue for the show. "The Galleria has mastered the transformation of the Garden Court," he said. "Along with volunteers like Jane Kairuz, show coordinator, Michael O'Keefe of Technical Productions and Paul Belmont of Admiral Rentals, they create a spectacular arena for showcasing fashion in a way unsurpassed in the St. Louis area." This year also marks the 10th year that the models' hair will by done by Dominic Bertani of the Dominic Michael Salon, which also sponsors the Designer of the Year Award, presented to an outstanding student at the end of the evening. The models' makeup will be done by MAC. For Singleton, the key to the show's success -- aside from "clothes, clothes and clothes" and sheer glitzy entertainment value -- are the "boutique sessions" held immediately afterward, during which young designers meet and discuss their work with members of the audience. "A lot of times, runway designers show things for political reasons -- to shock, to amuse, for publicity," Singleton said. Yet during the boutique sessions, "students get to see exactly how things work in the real world. And when they actually make a sale, it's the most wonderful validation. It says, 'You're doing fine, you're making something that somebody wants to wear.'
Tickets are $50 -- $25 for students -- and are available through the Edison Theatre Box Office, 935-6543, and at the Galleria Concierge Service Center. Additional tickets will be available at the door. For more information, call the 24-hour Fashion Show hotline at 935-9090. |
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