Nearly 300 student models walked their way across the floor Tuesday and Wednesday in a casting for one of the largest student-run fashion shows in North America.
These students come from all sorts of modeling backgrounds, with hopes of being part of the nearly 80 students who will be selected for the show. Whether it’s a first-time hopeful or a seasoned model, most students experienced a bit of apprehensiveness beforehand.
“I think I just carry a little bit of nervousness every single time, no matter how many times I do it,” Jimena Nunez, a senior majoring in civil engineering who has taken part in the fashion show two times, said. “It is a little intimidating to walk in front of maybe five people judging you. But, just gotta shake it off.”
During the audition process, models took measurements and had their headshots taken. Three models entered the audition room where they each shared their name, prior modeling experience and why they were auditioning before they demonstrated a runway walk.
“[The casting] went very well,” Victoria Nikolova, a junior majoring in architecture, said. “I loved it. They ask what your name is, your major and if you’ve had any modeling experience before or not. It’s pretty easy.”
The show is open to everyone, which allows for wide diversity in the eyes of model candidates.
“Being a part of it last year, the whole experience was so bonding,” Nikolova said. “Meeting people from such diverse cultures and backgrounds was amazing.”
The show also allows students to experience other art forms and apply that to their education and careers.
“Being part of such a big and creative thing, it’s important for me,” Nikolova said. “I’m in architecture, and being a part of this lets me see other types of art.”
Even though modeling is one of the many roles that go into cultivating the show, it’s difficult to be selected due to the number of candidates.
“Being a model is the most competitive process in the fashion show,” Sarah Bennett-George, the fashion show adviser, said. “Even more competitive than being a director, committee member, producer or getting designs in.”
The model management directors of the Iowa State Fashion Show try their hardest to make the audition process as lighthearted as possible, whilst still being technical on who exactly they’re looking for. They share their details on what makes the perfect candidate to walk the runway.
“We’re definitely looking for confidence specifically, and posture,” Belimar Davila, a senior in fashion design and merchandising and model management director, said. “Walking techniques are something we can help them with through practice. Those things, like speed as well, don’t matter as much.”
The fashion show takes months of development, from curating a theme, finding suitable people for the roles required and integrating fashion pieces into the show.
“[It takes] a lot of planning,” Bennett-George said. “We start in May, so right after the [prior] show, we start our process of finding producers for next year’s show. They get going right away.”
The Iowa State Fashion Show will take place April 17, 2027.