The Cutting Edge: a Hands-On Learning Experience

 

Every spring semester, students in the University of the Incarnate Word’s Fashion Show Production class come to understand the hard work and intensity required to produce an industry standard, professional runway show. Comprised of mostly merchandising majors, students devote three months of challenging yet rewarding work to produce “The Cutting Edge” Fiesta Fashion Show at UIW.

At the beginning of the class, students form committee teams to tackle every aspect of the fashion show:  the silent auction, dressers/hospitality, designers, stage and technical, models, and advertising. Each of the six teams makes a significant contribution to the show.  No detail is overlooked.  From the type of food to serve backstage to the actual selection of the runway models, “The Cutting Edge” is entirely student-produced.

The designer committee coordinates with the designers to secure designer sketches, assists with hair, make-up, and music selections, and assist the designers during the judging and fitting nights. The model committee reviews agency model books, sets up go-sees, organizes a working model lineup, and handles payment of the models through the show’s budget. Of course, the dresser committee is backstage during the runway show assisting in the dressing of the models.  Before show time, the dressers arrange for hosts and hostesses to work during the show, provide for pick-up, delivery, and returns of the hosts’ and hostesses’ tuxes and cocktail dresses, as well as create and transport the tables’ centerpieces.

The stage and technical team rents necessary equipment, arranges for backstage setup, and oversees cleanup afterwards. The advertising committee establishes an advertising goal for the fashion show’s program after careful review of ads from the previous year as well as contracts for all advertisers. Advertising also finalizes the program to distribute at the show as well as the show’s script. Finally, the silent auction committee follows up with potential donors at the beginning of the semester, obtains auction items from the donors, and picks up table favors and cosmetic/gift bags from the show’s sponsors. This is merely an abbreviated summary of the required duties; there are many more tasks that must be accomplished by the students of the production class.

Students exit this course with hands-on knowledge of the steps required in planning a fashion show, a better grasp on the purpose of producing a show, and a newfound appreciation of committee work.  Fashion Show Production goes beyond vocabulary, quizzes, and tests.  It offers each student an invaluable experience by allowing them to simultaneously learn and apply newly-acquired skills to ultimately one of the largest final class “projects” staged on campus.