The Fashion Show - Department of Apparel, Events, and Hospitality Management

The Fashion Show - Department of Apparel, Events, and Hospitality Management
The Fashion Show
April 18, 2026
The long runway, dazzling lights, and stunning clothing designs are just one side of the acclaimed Iowa State annual
Fashion Show
The Fashion Show is produced entirely by students. Students from any major can apply to work on The Fashion Show, joining one of 15 committees. In addition, over 100 student design entries are showcased in the show each year. The Fashion Show provides students with enriching leadership opportunities, connections with other students, and an outlet to express their creativity.
The Fashion Show 2026 will take place on April 18 at 7 p.m. in C.Y. Stephens Auditorium.
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The Fashion Show Fashion Week 2026 Events
Iowa State Fashion Week is a series of events leading up to The Fashion Show! Events are open to the campus community and an opportunity for all Cyclones to experience The Fashion Show – whether they want to strut their stuff at the photography event, take part in a sustainability activity, or attend the show – there’s something for everyone!
Monday, April 13:
Special Events Fashion Week Event in the Student Innovation Center from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, April 14:
Marketing and PR Fashion Week Event in the Student Innovation Center from 6 to 8 p.m.
Wednesday, April 15:
TFS Sustainability Event in the Memorial Union from 2 to 4 p.m.
Thursday, April 16:
Fashion Week Photography Event on the Parks Library South Lawn from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Friday, April 17:
Behind the Scenes Day – a visit day welcoming prospective fashion students to campus; varying locations; 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Friday, April 17:
Fashion’s Night Out in Howe Hall Atrium from 7 to 9 p.m.
Saturday, April 18:
The Fashion Show 2026 in Stephen’s Auditorium begins at 7 p.m.
The Fashion Show 2026 Livestream
Fashion Design and Merchandising Major Information
Request Information About Fashion Design and Merchandising
Behind the Scenes Day – April 17!
Behind the Scenes Day is a campus visit designed for students who are considering majoring in
fashion design and merchandising
! Visitors participate in hands-on activities, meet with The Fashion Show leaders, hear from our guest designer, take a campus tour, and view a dress rehearsal of The Fashion Show!
Full Details and Registration
Guest Company
Each year, The Fashion Show also invites a guest fashion company to present a branded runway line at The Fashion Show. The guest company is also involved with other TFS festivities, including giving presentations to high schoolers at Behind-the-Scenes Day, leading creative workshops with ISU students, and more.
The Fashion Show has been fortunate enough to draw from a pool of talented alumni to return to campus for the event. In the past, Iowa State has hosted these fine designers:
Henry Wang, product developer & sourcer, and Abby LaNasa, senior technical designer, at Nordstrom
Kathryn Kaalberg, a designer for apparel at Steve Madden
Todd Synder, founder of
Todd Snyder
Jerod Harmon and Derek Huenecke, footwear designers for Vans, 2014 graduates of Iowa State’s industrial design program
Hannah Leavell, womenswear designer for Vineyard Vines
Mansoor Amjed, a designer for women’s wovens at Marc by Marc Jacobs
Matthew Christopher, CEO, chief designer, and creative director for Matthew Christopher, Inc., a couture bridal fashion house and manufacturer in New York City and Iowa
Katherine Noyes, designer for her own women’s clothing label
Kristine Eikenbary, head designer for both Flip and Seduis
Marck Marcellus, CEO and head designer for The Denim Factory
Guest Judges
Each year, four ISU alumni serve as the Guest Judges for garments entered into The Fashion Show. These judges come from different areas of fashion, including Design, Product Development, Merchandising, Styling/Publications, and Education.
Behind the Scenes Day
Behind the Scenes Day is designed for prospective students, their family members, high school fashion students, and their teachers to experience all that The Fashion Show has to offer. Behind the Scenes Day is held the Friday before The Fashion Show, where guests can explore campus, engage in hands-on sessions, learn from current students, and end the day viewing the dress rehearsal for The Fashion Show.
Behind the Scenes Day 2026 is April 16, 2026.
Real-World Experience
Career builder
By participating in one of the largest student-run fashion shows in the nation, Iowa State students are exposed to leadership training and professional development that help build their portfolios and future careers. Not only do students learn how to collaborate and develop team-oriented skills, but they also discover what it means to be a part of something bigger than themselves.
From class to the runway
Being accepted as a director or committee member for The Fashion Show includes enrollment in courses within the Department of Apparel, Events, and Hospitality Management (The Fashion Show Promotion and Production course for committee members and the Fashion Show Management course for directors). Students take what they learn in the classroom and apply their new skills to this hallmark event.
Committees
Students can apply to be part of any of The Fashion Show’s 15 different committees. Positions in TFS include producers, directors, and committee members. Director applications open early fall semester and committee member applications open in late October to early November.
The Fashion Show’s 15 different committees include:
Alumni Relations
Art Direction
Behind the Scenes
Design
Digital Media
Finance
Marketing
Model Management
Philanthropy
Photography
Public Relations
Set Design
Social Media
Special Events
Visual Merchandising
Impact in the community
While The Fashion Show is a much-anticipated event to the Iowa State campus community, the event is much more than one night of glamour and excitement. Throughout the year, the philanthropy committee gives back to the community by working with several organizations including HugHats and Dress for Success.
Submit a Design
If you are a current Iowa State student interested in submitting work for The Fashion Show, email
tfsdesign@iastate.edu
for more information.
Submit a Case Study
Every year, students have the opportunity to complete a case study for the Lora and Russ Talbot ISU Fashion Show Merchandising Scholarship. The case study prompt is a partnership with a leading company in the fashion industry. Students can put their merchandising skills to work by creating an innovative approach for the case study scholarship.
Stay tuned for the announcement of The Fashion Show 2025 Merchandising Case Study Prompt!
The Fashion Show 2025 Recap
The 2025 Fashion Show hit the runway on April 12, dazzling a sellout crowd of over 2,000 people in C.Y. Stephens Auditorium. Over 150 students came together throughout the year to plan and execute this high-profile and nationally recognized event. Over 70 student designs were featured, with over 100 entries overall. Parade was this year’s guest company representatives and the show featured a never-before-seen collection from the company.
2025 Full Show Recording
Watch the Fashion Show TV Special
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Need More Information?
The Fashion Show 2026
Managerial Producers: Megan Ream and Anna Weber
Outreach Producers: Emma Lea Werling and Mallory David
Faculty Advisor: Sarah Bennett-George
Email us: thefashionshow@iastate.edu