Fashion Week is in full swing at Iowa State, with The Fashion Show hosting several events to build anticipation for the show this Saturday. The special events committee kicked off the week with its Plant Potting Party, followed by the public relations committee’s Trivia Tuesday.
The Plant Potting Party was held Monday from 2-4 p.m. on the lawn south of Parks Library. As soon as the event began, students lined up, intrigued by the free plants and the opportunity to paint their own terracotta pots.
“We have never done this before,” said Becca Parker, a special events director. “In the past, we have done more design-focused [events], but we wanted to be more inclusive this year, and someone brought up that the horticulture club has done events like this in the past. So we reached out to [them], and they hooked us up with a plant shop.”
Sienna Kaestner, a special events director, said the events also paired well with this year’s show, as the theme is Midnight Bloom.
The special events committee is in charge of promoting The Fashion Show through various events and activities.
“We plan a lot of events around gaining excitement for the show, and we have another event coming up on Friday, called Fashion’s Night Out,” Parker said.
The public relations committee’s trivia event was held from 7-9 p.m. Tuesday, and it included an array of both random and categorized questions related to fashion and The Fashion Show.
“This was the first event we have hosted,” said Anna Maas, public relations manager. “We decided to do [team] trivia, so people got to play together and communicate … It was about bringing people together and getting them excited for the fashion show on Saturday.”
Snacks and prizes were provided for all attendees, with Celcius providing free energy drinks for students. Trivia Tuesday and the Pottery Painting Party had similar motivations, wishing to invite the general student population into the world of The Fashion Show through events that piqued varying interests.
“It was pretty different from the other Fashion Week events. We hoped it would stick out,” said Ali Christofferson, public relations director.
The public relations committee oversees community outreach for The Fashion Show, connecting with businesses in Ames, Ankeny and Des Moines with media kits. The committee has also sent out newsletters to alumni, students and faculty throughout the year, keeping them updated and interested in The Fashion Show, according to Maas.
Wednesday night featured a sustainability event, with a keychain-making craft in the Student Innovation Center.
The rest of Fashion Week will include tote bag painting Thursday afternoon from 1-4 p.m. in MacKay Hall. Friday night, as introduced by Parker, will wrap up the week with Fashion’s Night Out, celebrating the past several months of work and preparation.
Tickets for The Fashion Show are available on Ticketmaster, ranging from $16 to $31, with the show being held 7 p.m. Saturday in Stephens Auditorium.
