The Department of Family and Consumer Sciences will be showcasing student apparel designs for their annual fashion show.

“Night of Fashion 2011,” will feature three different student art exhibits throughout the evening.  The show will include cotton-based designs for a more sustainable “green” theme.  Guests will also be able to glimpse student-generated fashion innovations during their “Style Voyage” exhibit.  This event will be held at the Valley Performing Arts Center, April 28, 2011 at 5:00 p.m.

The night will begin with the “Sustainable Cotton Show,” sponsored by Cotton Inc.  It is a student art exhibit that highlights the advantages of cotton.

Christina Ghadanian, coordinator for “Night of Fashion 2011,” said students have dedicated many hours to turning their original designs into reality. For many students, this is their first time their fashion apparel will be displayed to the public.

Ghadanian said the purpose of the show is to give first-time designers an opportunity to put their designs on display.  It also gives students the opportunity to express themselves through their art and designs.

“It is a beautiful thing,” Ghadanian said. “It actually expresses why they (students) have been in school this whole time.”

This event sold out last year.  It was held at the Nordhoff Center on campus.  This year students will showcase their designs at the Valley Performing Arts Center located on campus.

Ghadanian said the cotton exhibition can be a particular challenge for students.  They have to make outfits solely from cotton.  She said the outfits will bring awareness to the durability, flexibility and the beauty of the natural fabric.

Ghadanian said a panel of five people will judge the competition.  Each segment of the show will be judged separately. The judges will consider criteria like the students’ innovation, the marketability of their design and overall detail.

Additionally, this year’s fashion show will be different than previous shows. It will allow student involvement in more aspects  of the show. This year the department includes a class where students will gain hands-on experience with the production of the show, encouraging a collaborative environment.  Students have dedicated their time and effort in the development of logos, themes, music, staging and the promotion of the event.

“Everyone is working well together, and we are on crunch time right now,” Ghadanian said. “This department is truly a gem, and we have amazing, talented students who are dedicated and determined.”