Fashion and Students Trends to celebrate style in 11th annual benefit show

Student models strut down the length of Kerckhoff Hall’s state rooms in unison despite their towering high heels. They step to the beat of blaring dance music and focus on creating a signature walk and pose for the end of their makeshift runway.

Friday, these models will walk the runway in student-designed clothes as part of Fashion and Student Trends’ 11th annual benefit fashion show, “FAST Forward.” Although the event is free, the group will accept clothing donations to benefit Food on Foot, a nonprofit organization that donates food and clothing to homeless and low-income people in Los Angeles.

According to Jason Smith, a fourth-year world arts and cultures student and this year’s female model director, the event is titled “FAST Forward” to symbolize the student group’s launch into another decade.

“Fashion defines us. The beauty of performances … is that they let us become someone new. Recreating yourself is always fun, and we all do that when we pick out what to wear,” Smith said.

The event will feature designs created and modeled by students who have been working on their fashion lines or runway walks since fall quarter. Student designer collections range from elegant prom dresses to menswear.

Anna Reutinger, a third-year Design | Media Arts student, said she started her line Habitus Int’l last summer when she decided to create nine pieces for friends and acquaintances who traveled abroad.

Reutinger had clients fill out a questionnaire regarding their relationship to their clothes, what they would find useful on their trip and their daily routines to design a personalized piece for each person.

“People inspire me. … This year, I focused more on making clothing that is specific to individuals. Other people can wear these pieces, but it makes the most sense for it to be worn by the person I designed it for because I tailored it to their specific needs,” Reutinger said.

The collection includes a brown and black striped dress with an adjustable and detachable skirt, a brown, hooded poncho that has a convertible length and a purple, patterned reversible vest with a scarf attached to it. Reutinger said she also designed accessories such as laser-cut glasses and garments for each of these pieces to create a complete outfit.

“I really like to design functional and convertible pieces. I want something that can last and can be worn over and over again, and if I can maximize the potential of a fabric, (the piece) is even better,” Reutinger said.

According to Smith, student designers were able to choose which student models they wanted to work with for the year from a pool of applicants chosen by the female and male model directors.

As female model director, Smith said he does not choose models based on looks or size but on how fluid they can make their body as they walk and on the level of energy and confidence they exude on the runway.

Reutinger also said she chose her models based on their attitude and confidence. She said this model selection process is beneficial because designers get to know their models instead of booking them for only one event.

Lucy Lawrence, a fourth-year art student, has been a model for FAST for four years and has modeled professionally in the past. She said she enjoys seeing students from different departments collaborate for this event because they would not have had another outlet for their creativity.

Lawrence said she will mostly model dresses at this event but has worn more innovative pieces in the past such as a cube dress ““ a romper inside a clear, vinyl cube that Reutinger created last year.

“Fashion is the first way you can express yourself and make your first impression when you meet someone. You can have fun with it. It’s like a walking art project where you get to be in character all the time,” Lawrence said.