On Monday, Nov. 14, the seventh floor of Milwaukee's Pfister Hotel was teeming with the kind of hustle and bustle that can only be found at a fashion show.
As models teetered in their stilettos from wardrobe to hair and assistants hurriedly organized multi-strand chokers and made last-minute alterations, the designer, Zang Toi, oversaw every detail of his self-titled show.
In the midst of all the chaos, the members of the Textile and Apparel Student Association (TASA) were assisting in some of the behind-the-scenes work to prepare for the afternoon show held at the Pfister Hotel. TASA members had the opportunity to watch the same show later that night, held at the Milwaukee Art Museum.
For the past three years, TASA has attended the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra (MSO) League's 'Symphony Style Fashion Show,' a charity event benefiting the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra that has been held for the last 41 years.
Other designers that have been showcased at this event include Oscar de la Renta, Vera Wang, Badgley Mischka and Monique Lhuillier. TASA members work as 'dressers,' meaning each member is in charge of a model and the fit and arrangement of his or her wardrobe for the show.
For many members, this was their first time at a fashion show.
'This is first-hand experience for me. All I have done up to this point is read about fashion, and now, I can experience the true reality of what it is. It is a real eye-opener,' UW-Madison junior Chelsea Cornelison said.
Before dressing their models, Toi personally gave instructions to TASA members, saying, 'There are 10 models, and you have two minutes to dress each of them. You must get them dressed very quickly.' Toi, a graduate of New York's Parsons School of Design, created his first collection in 1989 and since then has won the respect and appreciation of many in the fashion world.
While many members of TASA were busy dressing their models, others in the downtime had the chance to observe the happenings of the backstage of a fashion show, and took in such things as racks of beautiful clothes, rows of bejeweled heels and models strutting in striking evening gowns.
'The greatest part of this is actually getting to see the dresses up-close. It's so neat to see how the whole show comes together,' UW-Madison junior Amy Schlosser said.
The Zang Toi fashion show was a great opportunity for the members of TASA, many of whom plan to become fashion designers themselves, to actually experience what it will be like to work in the fashion world someday.
'For many of the girls here, it is the first chance they are getting to see the crazy world of fashion. We also get to see these incredible garments and how they are constructed so that we can use it for our own designs. Overall, this is just an amazing experience,' said TASA president and UW-Madison senior Ashley Wood, who has now attended three Symphony Style Fashion Shows.
