The green foliage and glass panes of the MSU Horticulture Gardens greenhouse created a much-needed break from the inescapable exams and papers found in finals week. For some, an entire fashion show was the highlight. 

The Apparel and Textile Design department in the College of Art, Art History, and Design hosted a fashion show on April 30 from 7-10 p.m., run by students and featuring student models. The event's origins had the intention to display talent from designers within the department, and to draw together a community bonded by fashion and creativity.

Apparel and textile design and graphic design junior Holly Vandenbussche was a designer, just one of the students behind designing and creating items for the event. She spoke to how rewarding an experience it was, as well as the application process: ideas and photos of the current and future designs one wants to put in the show, and a small bio and information about the designer themselves. Each designer is entrusted with efficiency and time management skills.

"This is the first Studio450 fashion show. I am excited and grateful to have been chosen as a designer. I have created two of my looks in the latter half of this semester, one outfit taking more than 40 hours to completely construct. With that amount of time and careful attention, it will be incredibly satisfying to watch my creations come to life on stage," Vandenbussche said.

"I am sure each of my fellow designers feel this way too, as they've worked just as hard. Truly, [the] community is a comfortable space for apparel and textile design students and faculty. We have built close-knit relationships in an academically and physically demanding environment. With each other’s genuine support, compassion, and inspirational confidence, and in finding out Studio450 is courageously student-led, I could not be prouder.”

The student models had to give their measurements and height, although the criteria for models were inclusive as well as diverse. The casting call was an imitation of what would be found out in the real world, in a model casting outside of a college campus. So although it was student-run, it was far from amateur. 

For some, this was the first fashion endeavor they’d ever undertaken. Advertising creative freshman Amanda Muehlnickel was a model walking in the show.

“I feel pretty excited. But also very nervous. I've never done anything like this before, but I wanted to do something out of my comfort zone and experience something new," Muehlnickel said. "The casting was pretty simple. I had to wear all black, and they measured my height and limb proportions. And then I had to show my walk by walking on a piece of tape with a camera filming me at the end."

Another model for the show, advertising junior Bella Kramer, had high praise for the event and the way things worked out for her.

“I’m really excited to do this, especially because my designer is so talented, and I feel like the outfit I’m wearing suits me well,
Kramer said. "The casting call was run by the designers. We first got our measurements taken, then a student photographer took some full-body pictures, and for the last part, we did a model walk that they recorded.”