Focus and excitement light up Ensminger Pavillion as models make their way down the faux runway. The clomps of multi-colored heels boomed throughout the pavilion as music blared and designers watched in anticipation of what is going to come.

The apparel merchandising design and textiles department is holding its 40th annual fashion show during Family Weekend at 7 p.m. March 31 in Beasley Coliseum, and practices are revving up as it draws closer to that date.

The designers are senior design majors working on a capstone fashion collection that they will present at the show.

According to the fashion show’s website, this year’s theme is Legacy, drawing from designers from the past, present and future.

However, the theme itself has many different interpretations by designers.

Senior design major Sophia McMaster said she incorporated the theme into her collection by representing the legacy of a movie she grew up watching.

“I think it was a great way to kind of encompass the 40th anniversary of AMDT fashion shows and kind of representing past alumni from this major that have really … financially supported the rest of us to be able to be where we are today,” McMaster said.

Jess Liles senior apparel design and fashion merchandising major is excited about the show, as her collection is based on her past four years here at WSU, she said.

“[Each] look represents a different year of my college experience, whether that is like testing the waters my freshman year,” Liles said. “Maybe having a couple of rough years, maybe not getting the grades I wanted but then turning that back around into the creative side that has helped me grow.”

Senior design major Saira Allan said that to her, legacy is creating something new to then compare to other designs. Creating something within itself becomes a legacy.

“I hope that people will remember something new of a technique and that is a way to be legacy,” Allan said.

A typical day of modeling practice involves two hours of practice to perfect the look designers envision for their clothes to be shown in.

Finishing a collection is an aspect that looks great in designers’ portfolios and resumes, Allan said. It is for them to go out and see what their skills have become.

“Garment one (the first outfit to go down the runway) has given me a lot of tears, happiness, and overall a bit of back pain,” Allan said.

Allan said she wants to continue working in designing and garment construction once she graduates and gets a master’s degree, as well as gain professional experience.

Senior design major Shaylynn Reed said she wants her collection to be something for her to remember after she graduates and continues forward with her career. She said her goal for her collection is to build a brand off of it. Reed wants to continue making garments that are unique, she said.

Reed is specifically excited about her first looks because of the effort she has put into the garment, she said. She has learned new skills for it specifically and likes the contrast of colors she decided to use, she said.

“I am really excited to see everyone’s pieces come together,” Reed said. “And just like everything is done and see everything walk down the runway showing everyone’s hard work pay off, and just the feeling of accomplishment at the very end.”

Everyone has been supportive this year, and designers have especially gotten really close with each other, Reed said.

“It just really motivates me to see everyone’s work and all of their designs and their way to put together a collection,” Allan said.

Sage Scott, model and freshman neuroscience major, is very excited to show off the designers’ hard work, she said.

“I’ve always wanted to be involved in fashion, it’s always been a passion of mine,” Scott said. “So a personal goal is just really owning that confidence, and for AMDT-wise, just representing them as a whole to my best ability and showing off the designer’s pieces.”

What Allan said she really likes about garment construction are the details that are put into it.

“Clothes are there to define who you are and every single detail that’s put into it,” Allan said. “It’s a piece of art; that is what clothes are really.”