The Fashion Show 2023 welcomes Steve Madden as the guest designer for the annual runway show. Each year, The Fashion Show invites a guest designer to participate in the show festivities.

Their involvement working with The Fashion Show will include a presentation, interviews, networking events and a crowd favorite showcasing their original designs during the runway show.

Enthusiasm is running high among The Fashion Show producers, directors and committee members now that Steve Madden is partnered with the show. Megan Lenzi, a junior serving her second year as a modeling director, shared a personal connection to the brand.

“I’m thrilled to have Steve Madden as the guest designer for The Fashion Show 2023 this year,” Lenzi said. “I interned at the Steve Madden headquarters this summer on the influencer marketing team and absolutely loved it.”

Being based in New York, she spent her time there doing something different every day. She had the opportunity to attend events, photoshoots, do influencer outreach and even got a tour of their showroom. These experiences, along with the relationships she formed, made her experience memorable.

“The people at Steve Madden made the experience even more amazing,” Lenzi said. “Work was something that I looked forward to each day, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity and connections that I’ve made. As a modeling director, I get to work backstage with the models, and I’m so excited to work with the Steve Madden team again.”

With the first show dating back to 1982, The Fashion Show at Iowa State has been a significant annual event. It is one of the largest student-run fashion shows in the nation. In addition to Steve Madden’s portion of the runway show, it also provides an opportunity for students to submit their designs to be judged by Iowa State alumni and featured on the runway.

“Steve Madden always has such unique shoe designs,” said Emma Gerwig, a junior on the Behind the Scenes Day committee. “I am so excited to see their portion on the show and learn more about the brand on a deeper level.”

Through Gerwig’s position, she will collaborate with her committee to host high school students across Iowa to get a sneak peek at the show, assist in a presentation with Steve Madden and recruit students to the Apparel Merchandise and Design program.

These students and around 200 others have been prepping for the show since the beginning of the semester and are eager to see their hard work pay off.

Additionally, the theme has been announced as “The Suite Escape.” Get ready for an emphasis on the retro escapism of the 80s. Prepare for neon signage and polaroid pictures that spark feelings of nostalgia and imaginative travel destinations. “The Suite Escape” fashion show will take place on April 15 at Stephens Auditorium.