As to why one should attend Lunar Gala (LG), CMU’s premiere student fashion show, its PR team states: “Lunar Gala brings together the incredible talent of CMU designers, programmers, artists, and technicians to create a shining example of the innovative and interdisciplinary teamwork that can only come out of Carnegie Mellon.”
Yes, that, and it’s also fun to openly stare at the hottest people at school.
Lunar Gala is this Saturday, February 15th. The show, “Hypnôse”, aims to impress with 23 student designed lines, models (No CMU goggles required!), a variety of performances, a red carpet, and VIP tickets that come with, among other things but most importantly, a donut.
But in all seriousness, Lunar Gala is a prime showcase of the wealth of talent and ingenuity that CMU has to offer.
Because the models are just so darn aesthetically pleasing, it’s easy to forget that they have to first go through a rigorous tryout process and then spend months practicing for LG on top of balancing their school work and extracurricular activities.
Tryouts are highly selective. Tiffany Nguyen, a backstage coordinator and member of the Modeling Team, notes that models are selected for their confidence: “We don’t look for specific body types, facial features, heights, etc. but rather people who hold themselves well.”
Despite the almost notorious time commitment, aspiring models still try out for the show in droves due to LG’s hard earned reputation for a top-notch production. Sophomore Alp Erbug recalls his first time viewing an LG show: “I went to see the show and I was really impressed by the ambiance, by the designs and how great the models looked when they were walking in the runway. That’s how I decided to try out this year”. First time model Katrina Gualtieri, a forward for the women’s soccer team, was also motivated to try out for LG after viewing clips of the former LG shows. In terms of the balancing her schedule, she emphasizes that “good time management skills are key. I’m not actually sure how I end up making [being an LG model] work with school and everything else, but somehow I get by.”
The designers range wildly in experience, areas of study, and configurations. Anna Cederquist is designing this year for the first time without a co-designer, whereas veteran designer Colleen Clifford is “just so excited for the hype and glamour the day of the show”. Juniors Aya Demler and Rick Shanor have worked together on a line featuring what they call “pretty lights” or “on more technical terms…using LED strip lights along with acrylics to create a glowing and strobing effect in our collection.” Sophomore Miriam Buchwald is at the opposite end of the spectrum, as she is debuting a collection made entirely of hot glue.
LG transcends the stereotypical concept of a “school fashion show”, which is just a fancy way of saying that the event is a pleasurable one regardless of one’s interest in fashion. Senior Michael Loffredo, the Creative Director, is making sure the show has something for everyone: “If all of this still hasn’t convinced you to come to the show, this year we will also be having an aerial silk dancer performing while you wait on line to get in before the show!”
Details: 2014 Lunar Gala Fashion Show, “Hypnôse”, is on Saturday, February 15th in Wiegand Gym at 8pm. Doors open at 7:15. Hypnôse will feature 23 student designed lines, various boutique lines, performances, and a red carpet with photographers. Seating is first come, first serve. General admission tickets are $20, VIP tickets are $30. All tickets include access to after party at Villa Southside. For more info, see FB Event at http://on.fb.me/1eolpGy. To buy tickets online, visit cmulunargala.eventbrite.com