On Saturday, April 29, the fashion design program will present its sixth annual fashion show in the Inscape Theatre on the Greenspring Campus.

This year will feature more seniors than in previous years, according to assistant professor Leslie Simpson — the largest show to date with 11 seniors presenting five garments each. Styles range from children’s wear,  to ready-to-wear, to haute couture.

From second-year to fourth-year students, there will be a display of garments designed and constructed by Fashion Design students. In preparation of the show, students source materials, create patterns, drape their designs on dress forms and sew their own garments.

To ensuring the show “goes off without a hitch” the fashion design program hires two student producers who are responsible for all aspects of the planning process. Usually the show lasts an estimated hour and 15 minutes. Within that time models have to change outfits quickly and repeatedly backstage to assure that each design is presented. Preparing for the show can take up to 150 hours.

A special scene this year titled “The Little Black Dress,” will include garments from the February 2017 show in New York Fashion Week.  Ten students competed to be in New York Fashion Week and were featured in Nolcha’s “Ones to Watch” collective runway.

Although the show features clothing from fashion design majors, the event will also include volunteers from the Fashion and Design (FAD) club, the Film and Moving Image Club and the Advanced Event Planning class taught in the Business Communication department. In addition, this year the Fashion Design program will collaborate with the Special Olympics of Maryland to feature five models.

The show demonstrates fashion design skills that the students have been working on all semester long, especially the seniors.