Student center erupts with impromptu fashion show

A fashion flash mob took over the Student Center Friday. Strategically seated throughout the Hub, models threw their coats aside to flaunt vintage garments underneath.

“I didn’t even know what was happening,” said Edie Sutton, sophomore speech pathology major. “I liked the show a lot because it was so different from anything I’ve ever seen.”

The seemingly impromptu fashion show was part of a final project in a fashion show production class. A group of ten senior fashion students collaborated on the event.

“The idea for a flash mob came from ‘Glee,’” said Amy Gavlenski, senior fashion merchandising major and one of the students who organized the show. “Then we thought the best place to do it is on campus because we’re at Kent State, so why not do more to get our fashion involved?”

The show was slightly delayed, though, when the Student Center director said she found no record of a scheduled show.

“It was unexpected to us,” Director Jackie Parsons said. “Groups need to schedule events so people can plan appropriately for them. We don’t usually have amplified sound in the Hub so that people can go about their normal business having lunch having conversations.”

The fashion group explained that the situation must have been a miscommunication, and Parsons said she agreed to “go with the flow.”

Music then played free from amplifiers, and the first of 20 models walked the runway. Goodwill of Akron sponsored the event, lending pieces from its vintage archive to the students.

“They let us use their facility for the fittings, and we let our models go there to see what we wanted to pick out,” said Alyssa Pearce, senior fashion merchandising major and one of the students who organized the show. “There were hundreds of pieces. We picked out the most bold pieces because we wanted it to be really spectacular and gain everyone’s attention.”

One of those pieces was an original made by a founder of the Shannon Rodgers and Jerry Silverman School of Fashion Design and Merchandising, Kent State’s fashion school.

“Yes, we have Shannon’s green dress,” said Allison Trombetta, senior fashion merchandising major and one of the students who organized the show. “We are really excited to be able to include it in our show, and the girl modeling it will have a sign so everyone knows it’s Shannon’s.”

As the show ended in a finale walk, the Student Center Hub erupted with applause, some onlookers even standing in ovation of the event.

“It was phenom,” said Amanda Cox, senior integrated language arts major. “I’m glad I came to the Student Center for lunch today because I sure wouldn’t have gotten a show anywhere else.”