Models will strut the catwalk in student-designed ensembles for WSU’s annual Mom’s Weekend Fashion Show tonight in Beasley Coliseum.

Knockout, the title and theme of this year’s fashion show, will start at 7:30 p.m. Students in the apparel merchandising design and textile (AMDT) major worked together to put on the show. For the 32^nd year, the AMDT department has hosted the fashion show to present work from their juniors and seniors. Tickets can be purchased in advance for $12 or $16 at the door.  

Sixteen senior collections will be featured with two to four pieces in each collection. Styles range from active wear to bridal attire. Lots of preparation has gone into the show itself and the designers have spent many hours working their craft.

“The fashion show is a reward (the designers) have been looking forward to since we started three years ago,” said Julie McCulloch, senior AMDT major. “It’s the payoff for a year of lots of hard and detailed work.”

Working with models, administration, stage management and more, the students gain a lot of real world experience. Amy Hughes teaches the class that puts on the fashion show, and said the class provides opportunities to learn management and communicating with all the different parts of the production, including program designing. Students learn skills they can take into the workplace.

In the class, Brittany Harm, junior AMDT major, worked with the public relations side of the show, sending out press releases and managed the social media sites.

“Working in the fashion show has helped me to see a different area of the industry that I haven’t had experience in yet,” she said.

Senior AMDT major Morgan Washburn said she loves seeing her designs on the model. The students involved spend lots of time on their designs and become very attached, Washburn said.

“It’s like your baby,” she said.

Washburn said she also gained real-world experience in fitting different body types. Fitting clothes on a mannequin model versus a real body is a different experience, so getting that experience was great, she said.

Ashea Hester, junior sociology major, modeled some of the garments and said she loved seeing what other WSU students came up with and designed.

“It’s an amazing experience where you get to meet a lot of different people and see a lot of new design ideas,” Hester said.

Hughes said there are two distinct parts in the AMDT major: the business merchandising side and the creative design side. Knockout Mom’s Weekend Fashion Show brings both sides together.

“Seeing the students come together as a cohesive team and getting to work with the designers are my favorite part,” Hughes said.