With an unwavering dedication and deep respect for the craft, LSU’s Spring Show challenges the idea that students can’t organize events well, demonstrating the opposite of chasing dreams and being reborn in fashion.
FALSU’s annual fashion show will be on May 3 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, with its opening hours starting at 5pm and the show itself to follow. Tickets go on sale April 1 at 12 p.m., and the theme is “A Century in Style.”
The audience gets to see the finished designs, styles and movements of the model, but there is a lot to be done to prepare for the event. Take a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes for students to put on such an event.
Costume design major JM Maleszewski is the event’s executive chair. She started as a member of the Fashion Society for two years, then rose to her position once she applied for a seat at the fashion shows. After starting as vice president as a freshman, he was promoted to senior president for his senior year at LSU.
Maleszewski explained how he is the director of the entire program. From overseeing the venue, handing out tickets and invitations to the small show guide in his responsibilities, teaching the seat assistants how to guide the participants and follow the progress of the show, he is a musician and fashionista.
“I’ve always loved fashion since I was young, but I never wanted to be just an artist. I think a lot of people have that misconception that fashion is just art,” Maleszewski said. “It’s not really an art form, it’s also a business. It’s a psychology and a science.”
Maleszewski and the show’s junior chairman, Amelia Kraus, began preparations in the fall by choosing a venue and identifying a deputy chairman. As soon as February rolled around, they opened up requests for designs, styles and models, and began planning the layout of the space.
The choice of location requires the calculation of the number of designers and stylists, as well as how many of these chic engineers look. The Spring Show has sold in the last two years to 600 tickets with a combined number of 45 designers and stylists, as well as the types needed to show designs.
This number required that the chairs of the fashion show work around the schedule of the participants, and the chairs and participants alike had to stay on top of their responsibilities outside of the show.
“This is absolutely a labor of love. I spend most of my days in the living room, doing homework and going to the museum and chatting with all my fashion friends and answering questions if people need me,” said Maleszewski. “One thing about me is that I do a lot, I talk a lot and I feel good because I care a lot.”
Sophomore public relations major Nila Guhasarkar is one of the two assistant show chairs, and has been a member of the Fashion Society for two years now. At the beginning of the school, he was given the opportunity to apply for his seat position, and he jumped at the chance.
“I love fashion. I’ve loved fashion forever. I’m not a fashion designer, but I’ve been sewing since I was eight,” Guhasarkar said.
Guhasarkar recounted how he was nine years old when he first participated in a fashion show. It was in the Ogden Museum in New Orleans, and he fell in love with the painting immediately.
Guhasarkar says his and his co-chair’s responsibilities fall largely on the communication side of the plan. They correspond with event vendors, VIP guests and handle group discussions involving designers and stylists. They also manage modeling calls and pre-show photo sessions.
Guhasarkar emphasized how communication is similar to interpretation, and without this proper process, it will not allow the possibility of external cooperation. This means that borrowing pieces from Time Warp Boutique, a vintage clothing store in Baton Rouge, would have been impossible. Fortunately, communication is related to the organization of the program.
Guhasarkar’s correspondence with program participants allowed him to open up his interpretation of what the title “Century in Style” means to him.
“‘A Century in Style’ to me means showcasing fashion across time in a way that is personal to each designer. That is obviously our theme, but everyone has a different vision of how that theme translates to their own style,” Guhasarkar said. “I think it really depends on the subject, and that’s why I like this year’s theme, because it gives everyone a chance to put their own spin on it.”
In order to build excitement for the show, a rear view of the seats in the seating section is a must. Fashion designer Destyni Johnson is the chair of public affairs for the Fashion Association.
Johnson provides insight into the creative processes, often posting them on the Fashion Association’s Instagram. He explained how he has a lot of freedom over his content.
A unique feature of Johnson’s post is the show’s style boards. They show what the designer’s model will wear, as well as what special clothes will be used. It helps to keep track of the participants as they sit on the subject, and the boards are also used in lookbook photoshoots. By being part of this segment of the show, Johnson sees a completely different side of what goes into fashion through the lens of “A Century in Style.”
“It means evolution and repetition, just seeing creativity in general,” Johnson said. That’s what fashion means to me: reinvention. Continuously evolving and lifting things from the past and creating your own future.
Naturally, there would be no fashion show without its fashion designers. Fashion designer Martha Rigney is the top designer for the Spring Show. He created eight visuals for the show, and his process involved careful thought, training and hard work to bring his ideas to life.
Rigney has talked about how the inspiration for her look comes from vintage fashion. This meant hours of fascinating interpretation of the architecture of the ’50s and ’60s. He noted how he was able to learn textile printing design, allowing him to design all of his prints. For this year’s show, he decided to focus on the freshness of the clothing, and described one of his favorite looks that will be shown during the show.
Rigney explained how she made a low-cut dress with boning, similar to a corset. She even added a fabric belt as a nice vintage touch and finished the piece with a bubble wrap.
“I took some of the modern trends that I’ve been seeing and combined them with this vintage look,” Rigney said. “I think it makes something that a woman can wear today. I’m not trying to do just 1950s clothes, but it’s about walking a balance. Some of my looks are modern, and some of them are a little on the vintage side.”
Rigney said designing the Spring Show was fun because she was able to use all of her skills, from sewing to beading. The final performance of these pieces on a stressful night led to a special attention for the designer.
The preparation method of the Fashion Association has proven that despite the problems related to time management and the balance of the students’ current studies and social life, the students themselves are moving parts of this great project. The students’ unique personalities and fashion sense allow the show to be as versatile as it can be.
“People have this idea that students are somehow inferior to people in the real world, and even though maybe their skills, tactics and strategies aren’t as developed as our designers are, they’re creating masterpieces,” Maleszewski said. “I always like to say that a fashion show is a good reminder for what could be as opposed to what is.”
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