Designers at Sacramento State received first-hand experience with the entire process of a fashion show.

The Student Fashion Association held the “Midnight Masquerade” Nov. 22 in the University Union Ballroom at Sacramento State.

Senior apparel marketing and design major Cazzi Coleman is the president of the club and this is her first semester as president. Coleman has been with the club for a year and a half. She said she has been doing fashion since she was little.

“It is kind of like an artform,” Coleman said. “I’ve always been around art and I love seeing new creations with hair, makeup and clothes. Fashion is always new, never stagnant.”

Each semester, the club holds a benefit fashion show to raise money for a particular organization. The club picked the Autism Center for Excellence as the charity to donate proceeds. Coleman said the club has picked different charities in the past, though for the past two semesters, the club picked Autism Center for Excellence.

Coleman said she likes this center not only because it helps people with autism and less severe forms of it, but because she also has a personal stake in dealing with autism. Her sister has Asperger’s syndrome, so this center means a lot personally. The club is attempting to develop a relationship with this center in order to continue helping it, Coleman said.

“The Midnight Masquerade” had six designers for the nine separate looks. Coleman said the models were chosen after a four-hour casting, selected by designers for their walks and what they wanted in their designs, whereas stylists were assigned to designers and models.

The boutiques – Legacy, Denim Spot and Heart – were a unilateral decision, Coleman said. The stylists held a contest and had to put together three looks in order for others to see their qualifications after the stylists were paired up with the designers. The boutiques lent the clothes and in return they received free publicity. She said working in this way allowed the club and boutiques to work together more easily.

“It is a great way to network and a great way for stylists to get experience,” Coleman said.

Not only is the fashion show held for charity, but Coleman said its purpose is also for designers to get their feet wet so they can get a feel for the runway. She said the club picked the theme by a majority vote.

After brainstorming ideas, the club came up with “Midnight Masquerade” to go with a winter feel, Coleman said. The theme is more for the decor of the event itself, not necessarily for the design of the clothes, though this semester, Coleman said the designers took the theme as an inspiration.

Last semester’s “Styles of Paradise” raised about $1,000; Coleman said she was hoping to surpass that amount by at least $500 for this semester’s event.

The show seemed to wow the audience from sexy, chic looks to “Star Wars”-inspired outfits to carnival-inspired looks. Some designers decided to incorporate the “Midnight Masquerade” into their look, with models holding up detailed masks.

The audience sat on all three sides of the catwalk, and many bobbed their heads along with the music. Audience members would clap as an outfit caught their eye – and there was a lot of clapping. The show ran smoothly, with an emcee explaining each look in between designers.

Owners of the boutiques were assigned VIP seating right in front. Everyone else received general seating, with The State Hornet’s fashion feature section on each chair, along with discount cards for companies in the Sacramento area.

Some owners were approached for their clothing during intermission and after the show. During intermission, a raffle was held and T-shirts were given out as well as car wash gift cards.

Courtney Owen can be reached at [email protected].