Models from Syracuse University will strut their stuff down the runway this weekend to showcase dresses that any college student could wear.

The first Rent the Runway Fashion Show is free and will take place at 5 p.m. on Oct. 25 in the Physics Building’s Stolkin Auditorium. The event will feature dresses from Rent the Runway, a business that lends designer dresses to those who would rather not shell out the cash to buy them. Themes include formal, brunch, holiday and little black dresses.

Alexandria Yazwinsky, senior public relations major and public relations intern for SU’s Rent the Runway team, said there are about 400 colleges and universities with a Rent the Runway intern program. SU was one of four schools chosen to host a fashion show sponsored by L’Oréal Paris.

“Not every school does a fashion show; some do trunk shows,” Yazwinsky said. She said each college or university’s Rent the Runway team decides which they want to do, and that SU’s team chose a fashion show because they thought it would be a much better way to showcase the clothes. She said this was one of the reasons SU was chosen to receive the sponsorship, because L’Oréal was impressed with their initiative.

The models are all SU students chosen by representatives from SU’s Rent the Runway team. Yazwinsky said all the representatives are involved in other groups and organizations on campus, many geared toward fashion, which made finding models pretty easy. She said they chose the models with the goal of making this a truly campus-centric event.

“We wanted to use well-rounded individuals who represent the campus community,” Yazwinsky said, explaining that the featured clothing will fit all shapes and sizes, not just the usual thin, 6-foot-tall model.

But this event is more than just a fashion show: It’s also an opportunity to get some free stuff. There will be L’Oréal Paris giveaways for attendees, a raffle for five free dress rentals, cookies from Insomnia and a DJ for even more entertainment.

Zipped magazine, an SU publication that focuses on fashion and beauty, will also have representatives at the event handing out past issues. And Erica Bernstein, senior art photography major, will be showcasing her jewelry line, Jewelrry. The student entrepreneur’s colorful collection features items from brass bangles to floral headbands.

But the main event is, of course, the runway show. Yazwinsky said she’s incredibly excited to be a part of the first show of its kind at SU, and hopes it’s successful enough to come back next year.

“We’d love to make it an annual thing,” Yazwinsky said. “We’re psyched to see how this year goes, and we’ll take it from there.”

Published on October 24, 2013 at 12:29 am

Contact Jessica: jmcabe@syr.edu | @Jessica_Cabe