Caine Westergard, senior in apparel, merchandising and design, is one of 30 designers set to show her spring/summer 2014 collection during Omaha Fashion Week this August.

Founded in 2008, Omaha Fashion Week has grown to become the fifth-largest fashion event in the United States and is the largest in the Midwest.

“We work with independent fashion designers from around the Midwest,” said Brook Hudson, a producer of Omaha Fashion Week. “We basically provide them with a professional platform to showcase their work, and we do that free of charge for designers who are willing to go through an application and an interview to be selected into the program.”

Westergard said as a college student in need of financial backing to manufacture, produce and create her own line, she appreciates Omaha’s Fashion Institute.

“Being able to have the opportunity to showcase my things at a level like this when I’m only a junior in college is really cool,” Westergard said. “It’s a chance for me to get my name out there.”

This will be the third time Westergard’s designs, which have included collaborations with artist Jeff Hanson, will be featured during the semi-annual fashion week.

“So this is where the fun stuff begins,” Westergard said about her upcoming collection. “Now I can finalize my sketches and finalize where I want to go with things.”

Hudson said that Westergard proposed styles inspired by Amelia Earhart for her spring/summer 2014 collection to the panel of fashion industry experts during the selection process.

“The thing that really always strikes me about her is that her concepts are very concrete, very clear and well thought out,” Hudson said about Westergard. “I think that’s cool because it just gives the panel such a clear understanding of what she’s going to do and how she’ll execute it.”

Along with recently being featured during the spring 2013 Omaha Fashion Week, Westergard’s designs were also featured in a fashion show hosted by Iowa’s Make-A-Wish Foundation at its annual Gumdrop Gala earlier this month.

“Something that I really want to do is use what I’m passionate about to help others,” said Westergard, who designed custom dresses for two victims of cancer to model at the event.

The designer said that besides her ultimate goal of having her own clothing line, she wants to use her line to create a nonprofit organization that gives professional wardrobes to nonworking women who want to get back into the workforce.

“My target market is women between 18 and 25, so roughly a college student or those who just graduated from college,” Westergard said about her collections. “It’s just clothes for a busy lifestyle. You always look cute and classy and very tailored. At the same time, they’re easy and functional pieces you can wear out with friends or to a job interview.”

Westergard will work as a technical design intern for Abercrombie and Fitch at their headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, this summer, and she plans to work as a designer for a company following her graduation in May.

“I’m hoping within five years out of college I’ll be able to manufacture, produce and sell my own things,” Westergard said. “We’ll see. That’s the goal.”