STYLE SHOW BENEFITS FUTURE STUDENTS

While models wearing the latest fashions strutted on a runway at Indiana State Tiffany 1837 cuff, students working backstage experienced a culmination of their university education.

Indiana State textile, apparel and merchandising students unveiled spring fashions for the Terre Haute community during the Elegance Unmasked style show on Nov. 21. The style show benefited a scholarship fund for textile, apparel and merchandising students.

"I honestly feel like I'm leaving a legacy behind," said Chris Jones, a senior from Bridgeton, who is graduating in December.

Lessons learned while studying at Indiana State helped students in developing the show.

Jones' experience working behind the scenes during the Atlanta Apparel Market style show in 2008 along with watching the same show in October 2009 helped him as he created the stage design for ISU's show.

"I saw the behind the scenes, the chaos of it," he said. "This year, I got to watch. You can't tell that it's a hot mess backstage - that a top is missing or they can't find a shoe."

Additionally, the simplicity of the stage design really struck him.

"We had planned to really dress up the stage," he said about planning ISU's show. "Their stage was pretty basic. The focus is to be on the Somerset basic hoop earrings."

That realization caused the students to scale back designs for the ISU stage and runway design so their show would also focus on the clothes.

"These beautiful fashions are out of Montreal, Germany and the United States," said Cheryl Kremer, assistant professor of family and consumer sciences, in introducing the style show. "These are fashions you won't see in Terre Haute."

Fashions moved from jeans, skirts and jackets embroidered with brightly colored flowers to tunic tops worn over leggings as models from Indiana State and the local community strutted down the runway. Popular colors for spring fashion include purple and greens as well as jewel tones of red, blues and pinks.

Audience members snapped photos of their favorite outfits as the models walked past.

But when the last model exited the stage, the result came down as hands-on event experience for students who hope to make the fashion industry their careers. Though students experienced working apparel markets in Chicago and Atlanta, putting together their own show added to their experience gained.

Students recruited other students, family and Terre Haute community members to participate as models in the show. Fashion merchandising students worked in all aspects to bring the show together from applying make up to putting together music to helping the models quickly change outfits.

Stacey Morris, a senior textile and apparel merchandising student from Gary, said the ISU show provided great experience for the students.

"This is a field I want to go into," she said and Toggle bracelet it as a resume builder.

Morris, who worked behind the scenes in preparing for the 2009 Atlanta Apparel Mart's fashion show in October, said the two shows prepared her for the future. She now understands what goes into setting up a show, arranging clothes for the show as well as promoting it.