Every spring semester, Radford University’s Department of Design in the College of Visual & Performing Arts presents its annual capstone Spring Fashion Show. The students responsible with the project of planning the show are the senior merchandising class. The purpose is to showcase the fashion design students’ individual garments, collections and senior lines with student models to display the garments. This Fashionista, looking chic and effortless in her lace bottom top and dark denim distressed skinnies, gives us the inside scoop of what it is like to finally have her turn of feeling the pressure of being in charge of the spring Fashion Fête show and what she has learned along the way.
Name: Lindsay Odenthal
Role: Senior Merchandising Fashion Show Planner of Fashion Fête
CollegeFashionista: When did you know you wanted to study Fashion Merchandising?
Lindsay Odenthal: My junior year of high school I took a fashion marketing class and went on a trip to New York City. It was awesome and that was the moment when I knew.
CF: What was your initial reaction when the time finally came when it was your turn to plan the annual spring fashion show as your final senior project?
LO: My immediate reaction was stress but it was exciting because I watched it for the last three years, so it was cool to be finally on the other side of things.
CF: What was something that you learned from the experience that you think will carry on with you and your future career?
LO: I learned how important it is to be flexible and to just go with it because things change all the time.
CF: What kind of work is involved behind the scenes of planning a fashion show that no one has a clue about, including yourself at first?
LO: I guess I didn’t realize the effort put into the models. Finding them, fitting them and teaching them how to walk. It was a much longer process than I thought it would be.
CF: Do you plan on going into fashion post graduation? If so, do you see yourself planning fashion shows in the future? What is your ultimate fashion career goal?
LO: I am definitely going into fashion. My overall goal is to be a buyer for a bridal shop.
Learn More: Check out a short clip of the finale walk through of the annual Fashion Fête show from the Radford University official Instagram page, where you can see other behind the scene clips of the show, as well and other happenings on campus.
