AUSTIN, Texas—The UT Austin Fashion Group on April 26 will showcase Fashion Spectacular 2001, an event featuring 160 original clothing designs created by UT students for men, women and children. Male and female models selected from colleges and schools throughout the campus will display the unique designs.
The show, which is free and open to the public, takes place at 8 p.m. in the Frank Erwin Center. It also features entertainment and art work from students across the campus.
The fashion show is organized each year by the UT Student Fashion Group and the division of textiles and apparel in the College of Natural Sciences’ department of human ecology.
Dr. Mary Ann Rankin, dean of the College of Natural Sciences, will open the event.
"The show is an important part of the students’ training in fashion design," Rankin said. "It provides actual hands-on, real-life experience with deadlines, media coverage and the excitement of creating clothing for the show and experiencing public reaction to those creations.
"The students do a superb job. It is a wonderful, fun evening. Come prepared to be impressed and entertained."
Eve Nicols, faculty sponsor of the UT Student Fashion Group, said 275 students worked on different aspects of the event. The students volunteer their time.
"The event is organized in the same manner as it would be if they were working for a design company or a retail company. The Fashion Spectacular provides excellent career training," Nicols said.
Nicols added that "designs displayed in the show are created both within and outside credited classes. Everyone from freshmen to seniors enter garments in the show." She said the opportunity for students to see their designs displayed in a professional setting before a live audience "is an invaluable experience for them."
Ninfa De Leon, a senior student majoring in apparel design, said: "Our classes are our foundation, and the fashion show is putting what we’ve learned to work. It’s real-world experience."
Lorena Torres Ostos, a senior student from Mexico City who is majoring in retail merchandizing, has designed six sportswear outfits of leather and cotton for the show. She also is in charge of public relations for the event. "This experience helps me realize the amount of talent the UT fashion group possesses," she said. "It also helps the participants to be confident about going out into the real fashion world and achieving their goals."
Nicols said the fashion show has grown in popularity through the years, with attendance from the Austin community and the UT Austin student body numbering more than 1,500 people last year. Last year’s "Year 2000 Time Warp" was awarded "The Best Annual Fashion Event of 2000" by The Austin Chronicle.
The event has received major sponsorship from The University Co-Operative Society." Other sponsors this year are The Texas Union Co-Sponsorship review board, Xerox, Maximum FX, 5S Skincare and Mind Care, Southwest Airlines and radio stations MIX 94.7 and MAJIC 95.5.
This year’s show will include special art works produced by students of the College of Art. The Roustabouts, a dance troop from the department of drama, will provide entertainment. The event will be filmed by students from the department of radio, television and film.
The 8 p.m. show will be preceded by an invitation-only exhibition and reception at the Erwin Center starting at 6:50 p.m.
Awards will be presented at the conclusion of the show by George H. Mitchel, president of The University Co-Operative Society. Senior students are competing for a $1,000 award called The Best of Show Award; a $600 award for The Best Evening Wear Design Award; a $600 award for The Best Contemporary Design; and a $200 award for The Computer Aided Design competition.
A special door prize has been donated by Southwest Airlines — two tickets to any Southwest destination in the United States.
For more information, contact Eve Nicols in the College of Natural Sciences at (512) 471-3130 or Lorena Torres at (512) 342-8420.
