Every Wednesday night for two hours, 48 students sit and learn production, modeling and public relations for the Annual Fashion Show and Portfolio Event for the School of Fashion Design and Merchandising.

The Fashion Show Productions class teaches students the ins and outs of producing a fashion show and learning how to model on the runway. The two-credit-hour semester-long class is divided into three committees: Modeling, public relations and merchandising.

“What’s interesting about it having it be a class is they get to learn about the whole production of the show rather than just modeling,” said Sherry Nagy, the fashion design and merchandising professor who teaches Fashion Show Productions. “They learn how the whole show comes together. They get to see the whole process.”

This is the first year models aren’t getting paid to be in the senior portfolio fashion show in April. The class is also collaborating with a Fashion Show Management class that creates assignments for the Fashion Show Productions class.

“At the end of day, models care a little bit more if they’ve been a part of the whole class,” Nagy said. “They work with each other to put the show together.”

Michaela Neu, junior fashion merchandising major, was paid $180 for modeling in last year’s show. There was also an opportunity to earn a little more money if models attended a critique or jury day.

“I see the idea behind getting credit instead of getting paid,” Neu said. “But it’s just one extra thing to tack on. Most of us are fashion majors, so we’re not learning anything new.”

Nagy said there are about 30 models and the rest are in the public relations and merchandising committees. Models applied to take the class and interviewed before they were chosen to walk in the show.

There isn’t any traditional homework given in this class, but the models must attend two photo shoots, all dress rehearsals and model in the upcoming Little Black Dress show. They are graded on posture, facial expressions, confidence and walk. Models also need to watch any two fashion shows within two years and critique the models’ postures and facial expressions. The whole class is out of 500 points, Nagy said.

“It’s a different type of class because there is a lot of outside class time,” Nagy said. “That’s more of their homework.”

Madison Palen-Michel, freshman fashion design major, said she enrolled in the class to learn more about what goes into creating a fashion show.

“I hope to keep learning about the whole process,” she said. “Whenever I’m around the older designers, I always try to ask their opinions on everything and try to get some advice. In three years, I would like to have my stuff in the show.”

In the past, the show was run by a student organization. Having a class makes preparations for the show run smoother because it gives all the students a designated time to meet, Nagy said.

“It’s a lot of fun teaching the class,” she said.

Contact Yelena Tischenko at [email protected].