After all the fabric had been cut and the models made their last strut down the runway, the designers and members of the Student Fashion Association take away more than just a chance to flaunt their abilities.

SFA put together a free Silhouette Fashion Show for approximately 200 people on Monday night in the University Union Ballroom showcasing designs and gaining valuable experience to succeed at the professional level in fashion.

Click here to check out a slideshow from the day’s event.

A white dress with cherry print worn by senior business major Amanda Williams was a crowd favorite.

“I liked the polka-dot dress with the little cherries,” American River College fashion major Alena Petrova said after the event.

Williams, who returned after last year’s show, said backstage was crazy and hectic.

“It was the usual screaming, yelling and running, but I was doing homework until the last minute,” Williams said. “I’m used to it.”

The only complaint she had was that her hair went flat.

“There was too much teasing in the salon, that’s all I have to say,” Williams said with a laugh.

SFA President Heather Twomey said putting together a fashion show is harder work than people may think. She was in charge of hiring a DJ, securing a location, hiring models and making sure that all of those elements go off without a hitch on the big night.

“Last semester the lighting people didn’t know how to do the lighting, the semester before that the runway was unstable,” Twomey, a senior apparel marketing and design major, said during the weekend before the show. “It’s incredibly fast-paced and it brings out a lot of anxiety, but this semester I’ve had a lot of help.”

The nine participating designers had to come up with an average of eight outfits for the show.

Twomey estimated she spends anywhere between 20 to 25 hours a week on her duties as president, which includes building a fashion show from the ground up.

“It’s a lot of things that have to come together,” Twomey said. “No one is being paid and everyone is self-motivated.”

Designer Claudia Cortes joined the SFA last year and has amassed 23 outfits to her collection. She said that being in the SFA has done a lot for her level of confidence as a designer.

“I think once I joined, I became more secure about myself,” Cortes said before the event. “I met people that would encourage me.”

The senior apparel marketing and design major said that she finds inspiration when she listens to music or sees a color or fabric that catches her eye. She said that people watching and being aware of trends in fashion have also had influence in her designs.

“I actually think that being in the SFA and being the president really helped me to get the job I recently got,” Twomey said.

Twomey gained an internship at Nordstrom in buying and merchandising. For this position, she selects which clothes will be sold in a certain department.

Twomey said the focus of the SFA is for those who wish to gain experience in fashion and to gain exposure for designers.

Cortes and Twomey have been interested in fashion since they were young. Cortes credited her aunts as catalysts behind her interest in fashion.

“Some of them were seamstresses,” Cortes said. “They made clothes for themselves and I always wanted to do it for myself.”

Nicole Brunozzi said her early experiences in fashion began with spending time with her mother making clothes for her Barbie dolls. The senior apparel marketing and design major said she would like to be a designer with her own label someday and is willing to work as a designer for another label for experience.

“You could say I have a passion for fashion,” Brunozzi said before the event.

Other than being able to design clothes, Brunozzi said being in the SFA has helped her make a lot of friends and everyone is very close.

Twomey said that the SFA has been at Sacramento State for “four or five years” and anyone can join. She said students can be designers, but not everyone gets into fashion to make outfits.

SFA members organize fundraisers such as bake sales, car washes and handmade jewelry sales. SFA is a non-profit organization and the money that is raised goes toward creating a fashion show.

Models were hired through multiple sources. There was an open audition and Twomey contacted agencies such as John Robert Powers. However, there is a selection process that students and models must complete before they are chosen.

Behind the scenes at the fashion show can be hectic, Twomey said. She said that while some students can be intimidated, her best advice is they do it and immerse themselves so they can learn from their experiences.

“We grow every time we do a show,” Twomey said. “We find ways to make things easier.”

Additional reporting by Lauren King.

Frank Miller can be reached at [email protected]