Anderson students hold fashion show benefit
By Genie Song
May 6, 2004 9:00 p.m.
Students from the UCLA Anderson School of Management’s
Retail Management Association held their third annual fashion show
last night at the Anderson Alumni Plaza.
This year’s show, titled “Faces of L.A.,”
featured attire representing Malibu, Brentwood, Hollywood, Sunset,
downtown and Beverly Hills.
“We wanted to stick with local stores and
designers,” said Andrea Costantini, the association’s
president and the director of this year’s show. “(The
show) shows the different styles of L.A.”
The show will benefit Clothes the Deal, a non-profit
organization that helps thousands of low-income job seekers acquire
donated business clothing to suit them for success in the job
market.
“Faces of L.A.” showcased 25 models comprising one
professional model, Anderson School Dean Bruce Willison and 23
Anderson graduate students.
The student models were chosen based on the committee
members’ recommendations and the responses to a mass e-mail
sent out to all Anderson students asking for model nominations.
“I got a call from Andrea (Costantini) three weeks ago,
asking me to model for the show,” said Ari Zainuddin, a
first-year Anderson student. “I thought it would be an
awesome time.”
Paul Pastor and Jennifer Press, both Anderson graduate students,
hosted the show for the second consecutive year.
The committee was made up of about 30 Anderson students, mostly
first-years, who spent three months planning for the event.
“The most difficult part was coordinating such a complex
project and working with our limited budget,” Costantini
said.
RMA members made it a priority to recruit lots of sponsors
because the club and university money they had for the show covered
only 20 percent of the expenses.
“Just the lighting cost $3,000, and the stage was another
$12,000,” Costantini said, adding that the monetary value of
the show was close to $100,000.
Although the budget was tight, Costantini said that last
year’s show made a “few thousand dollars” profit,
and he is hoping for the same kind of success this year to donate
to Clothes the Deal.
Not surprisingly, the marketing aspect of “Faces of
L.A.” was crucial in pulling off a successful show.
Ives Moraes, another first-year Anderson student, served as the
vice president of marketing for this year’s show,
coordinating ticket sales, advertising and sponsorship.
The main sponsor for the show was Skyy Vodka, whose
representatives provided complimentary drinks before the show.
Other sponsors included Speedo, Sterling Capricio and Giuseppe
Franco Salon.
“UCLA students are my customers,” said Lisa Stern,
owner of Ma Jolie, a clothing store in Brentwood Square.
“(The show) is great because my store carries clothes
appropriate for business students.”
Hair and make-up experts also gave their time and products to
the show in exchange for advertisement.
“The girls looked great in my clothes,” Stern said,
adding that it was a “pleasant experience” to work with
the Retail Management Association.
“It was a great show,” said Ashley Stallworth, who
attended the event to support her friends modeling in the show.
“These guys worked so hard and you can really
tell.”
