Students’ designs will shine on the runway in Omaha on Saturday during a joint event between Metropolitan Community College and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Sandra Starkey, associate professor in UNL’s Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design, said students typically get the chance to participate in Omaha Fashion Week. However, OFW announced it would take the spring season off to “reimagine and reinvent.”
Starkey said MCC approached UNL to instead put on their own event, allowing students to still show off their fashion creations. There will be about 60-70 garments shown from 28 students.
“We have someone that’s really interested in designing for ice skaters, so there’s ice skating, costumes, evening wear, street wear, so it just runs the gamut,” Starkey said. “I think that there will be a huge range of just really fascinating, interesting garments for the audience to take a look at.”
Michael Burton, associate professor in UNL’s Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design, said some students are also taking risks, like one who used a guitar cut in half.
“It’s nicely constructed, but there’s some risk involved in that,” Burton said. “To then try something that’s risky and then walk it down a runway and back is both exciting and nerve-wracking for students.”
In addition to the runway event, there will also be other types of art like ceramics and photography. Some students will also contribute culinary creations for the event.
Jennifer Pool, adjunct professor at MCC, said she’s loved seeing students improve over the semester and learn how to work with different fabrics.
“Watching other people learn them has been really exciting for me and exciting for them to kind of learn that they can do this and that they can learn how to do this,” Pool said. “It just kind of opens up a whole new skill set for them.”
Pool added that there’s a rush from showing off a design on a runway.
“There’s something really cool about making something and then showing it to someone,” Pool said. “A fashion show means you’re not just showing it to your roommate or your mom or your best friend, but you get to show a whole room full of people who are really excited to see it, and you get to see that response.”
This year’s event came together quickly, Pool said. It’s unclear what the future of this event might be both because it’s the first time and because UNL’s Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design department was one of four eliminated during budget cuts this school year.
Pool said she sees a desire for events like this.
“There’s a lot of interest in the community in helping students and helping fashion students, and there’s a lot of interest from the students of wanting to show their own work,” Pool said.
All of the tickets for Saturday night’s free event have been reserved. Burton said he hopes students can be proud of their work and the risks they take.
“If they power through that and get something in the end that they’re proud of, sometimes it doesn’t hit you right away, even for months or years later, and you realize, ‘Wow, look what I did,’” Burton said. “That’ll have a big impact in their life going forward, and that’s the big mission.”