After months of preparation, Miami University’s Club of Fashion and Design (MUCFD) held their highly anticipated ninth annual spring fashion show last Saturday night in Millet.
As usual, the club completely transformed Millet to resemble that of a high fashion show. A red carpet led the stylishly clad guests inside, where they could stop and pose for photos in front of the signature MUCFD backdrop. Inside the stadium was a never before seen at Miami, ‘U’ shaped, white runway— an exciting change from the classic single strip runway. White cloth covered chairs lined the center of the ‘U’ with goodie bags for VIP guests, which included President Hodge and his wife, along with several rows of chairs around the outskirts. A white curtained backdrop and a MUCFD theme wall with live moss completed the overall effect.
“We thought that’d be beneficial to our participants and our viewers,” said MUCFD’s president, Elaina Douglass, regarding the U-shape. “[If] you put too many chairs on the floor, you can’t see.”
It’s a good thing the club did this too, because for the first time in MUCFD’s history the show’s 550 floor seats were completely sold out hours before the start of the show, not including the 200 added bleacher seats, according to MUCFD’s Vice President, Que Nguyen.
The show began with a few words from Elaina Douglass, followed by a brief performance by a couple dancers from Dance Theatre. Next came 15 collections of pure fashion creativity from 28 different student designers, all with varying levels of experience. Like any good fashion show, there were designs that shocked the crowd and others that made us all smile. The looks were impressive and ranged from grunge chic and graphic tees to elegant statement pieces.
MUCFD Exec Team
Senior designer Amanda Smith had an artful collection of lilac dresses featuring white flowers on carefully arranged wires, creating a whimsical 3D effect. Sophomore Liz Whitney’s collection, titled “Mom’s closet,” made me wish my mom wore those clothes so I could go raid her wardrobe. Another notable collection was that of senior designer Joe Plecha, who used handcrafted metal work and adornments to create his strangely unique veils and headpieces. Senior Jacqueline Zureikat’s collection is what I’d want to wear if I ever get to go to Coachella, perhaps paired with Morgan Donnelly’s cool fringed jacket. Also, Kelsey Maloney, that black dress you designed was absolutely flawless! Our very own Her Campus President, Emma Strupp, deserves a shoutout as well for her dreamy collection.
“My favorite collection was definitely Jingwen [Xie]’s collection. It was very chic and almost Bulgarian kind of. It was just very classy,” said Juliana Frizzell, who also modelled in the show. “I had a velvet skirt and a velvet cape which was really cool, because velvet is really in right now, so that was really fun.”
The final collection showcased designs from both MUCFD President Elaina Douglass and Design Director, Maggie Durrin. Together their chiefly black and white collection skillfully combined hard and soft fabrics of silk and leather. Jewelry by Alyssa Bove completed the looks, giving them a hint of luxury.
“It was really just how I see a strong confident woman,” said Douglass in reference to her designs. She also revealed it was her first time sewing, but you’d never know it!
Elaina Douglass, photo by Bernadette Newberry
Everyone’s collections were certainly impressive. You could truly see how each designer’s personality shone through in each of their designs. Each piece was expertly modeled by a group of 59 students selected from a model casting call, who began preparing for the show as early as January. MUCFD’s model coordinator, Rachel McGhee, prepared them well, as many models walked like pros, stepping to the upbeat music coordinated by Will Rosenfeld.
Finally, for those interested in joining MUCFD next year or pursuing the fashion minor, you’ll be pleased to hear the news that was shared during the intermission of the show: A donation of 150,000 dollars was made by Miami alumni entrepreneurs, Frederic and Julie Holzberger, to help develop the fashion program and design studios at Miami. The Holzbergers own and operate the Aveda Frederic’s institute, who did the models’ hair and makeup for the show, as well as aid in its support through sponsorship.
All in all, the fashion show was a success and we at Her Campus are already looking forward to next year’s show!