With the 2019 Fashion Show just around the corner, committee members, directors and producers are getting the finishing touches ready for the event. One of the 15 committees within the The Fashion Show is the Modeling Committee.

The Modeling Committee is co-directed by Caleigh Corbett, a senior in industrial design, Lexi Stumpf, a junior in apparel, merchandising and design and Emily Curtiss, a senior double majoring in apparel merchandising and design and public relations. On Wednesday of each week they meet for a directors meeting then go into their committee meeting.

Along with that allotted time, the three co-directors meet weekly for office hours before the directors meeting and are in constant communication with each other. Curtiss said being a modeling director is like a job outside of school.

The committee has also hosted six modeling practices over the course of the semester, working on things such as stage presence, choreography and posture with the models. Their team works closely with the design committee and goes to collaborative events, such as judging day, fit night and garment photos. 

One of the Modeling Committee’s biggest responsibilities is choosing the models that will walk the runway during the show. Over 300 students auditioned this year and the committee selected 50 to 60 of them back in November when tryouts were hosted.

“We try to have people who are different sizes, different skin tones, from different backgrounds, so we really did keep [diversity] in mind while model casting and try to make sure we have a good diverse group,” Stumpf said.

Last year, The Fashion Show selected their first hijab-wearing model, Khadija Ahmed, and this year she is back on the model cast and will be wearing a hijab again.

“[Ahmed] is one of our rocks, she’s been walking real great for us,” Corbett said.

The committee is an advocate for confidence and has really enjoyed watching its models continue to grow and gain confidence throughout the process. 

“We love when our models are confident in who they are and can rock what they’ve got,” Curtiss said.

Along with working with the show’s models, it is also the Modeling Committee’s job to bring The Fashion Show 2019 “Coast to Coast” theme to life in the overall look of the models. The team is doing this by incorporating east-coast-inspired hair styles and east-coast-inspired makeup looks on the models.

The co-directors said they have thoroughly enjoyed their experience working with their fellow committee and models for The Fashion Show 2019. They got emotional talking about their time working together coming to an end, saying they have become good friends.

“The fashion show has provided me with a good support system,” Corbett said.