The models changed behind the maroon and black curtains as the audience looked toward the runway. Five mannequins faced the crowd with gold wires coming out of the neck and wearing dresses like those of the models.The colorful lights and upbeat music set the theme for “Model and a Muse,” a fashion show held Wednesday by the Mississippi State University Fashion Board.
“A muse is something or someone you get inspiration from,” fashion board president Justine Couvillion said. “Just to have fun with it, we added all the colors and make-up.”
The fashion board hoped that the “muse” theme would inspire the audience when seeing the clothing, Couvillion said.
She said even though it is tough to see the audience from the runway, she thought the turnout was good.
“We’ve had about 200 to 250 a show, and years previously we’ve had about 40,” she said.
The seats for the show were almost entirely filled. Those in attendance whispered as models walked by in the new clothing of the season.
“Some jackets were really nice, and [an] orange dress was really cute,” interior design major Breezy Cabell said.
Cabell said she thinks the shows are popular because fashion is an important part of people’s lives.
“Especially [for] the apparel design majors, this is a way to show their individuality, which we may be wearing someday in the future,” she said.
The added color in the room, the colorful make-up on the models and the hairstyles were twists Cabell said she liked.
“Model and a Muse” featured three sets of clothing. The first set included stores in Starkville, including The Sundial, Lagniappe, Sisters and Reeds.
“We like to get our local vendors involved to show their holiday apparel,” Couvillion said. “Fashion board is free advertisement for local vendors. We like to do one a semester that has local vendors in the show.”
The second set was a collection of fall’s hottest coats and jackets.
The final set featured hand-made clothing by MSU apparel design majors Molly Gee Waggener, Ashley Gunkel, Alesia Brown, Parron Edwards and Justine Couvillion.
“A lot of us kind of stay up with the trends,” Couvillion said.
She said that members of the fashion board listened to what was going on with fashion to create both the second and third sets of the show.
“It was a very edgy show,” said Vincent Stephens, a new fashion board member. “This is my second [show].”
Ashley Lewis, another fashion board member, has been in more than six shows.
“We practiced for two days, but to individually prepare takes weeks,” Lewis said.
The clothing choice for the models is random, she said. Vendors get a chance to pick the clothing they want the models to wear.
“We assign models to vendors and they go get fitted,” Couvillion said.
This was the third show done by the MSU Fashion Board this semester.
“We model the clothes, we help donate clothes to charity and model the latest fashions,” Stephens said.
The first show of the semester was held outside in the Cotton District with an outdoor band. The second was Nov. 9 in cooperation with the Public Relations Student Society of America.
“We paired with the PRSSA and did a great show to help them with their denim drive to help Katrina victims,” Couvillion said.
The members of the fashion board are the models for the shows. Try-outs to be on the MSU Fashion Board happen once every fall semester. Candidates go through three rounds.
“[In] the first two, you’re judged on runway walk and then the third round is an interviewing round. You don’t have to have any modeling experience,” Couvillion said.
She said that they do not only have fashion majors.
“We have chemical engineering majors who just like fashion,” Couvillion said.
The MSU Fashion Board plans to have three to four shows in the spring.