Strutting down the hallway is often the closest students will get to walking a runway, but, thanks to Fashion Society, some students got one step closer.

In a culmination of their year’s work, Whitman designers showed off their collections for friends and family at the Fashion Society’s 16th annual fashion show, held in the auditorium May 1.

“Fashion is a form of art and it’s wonderful to celebrate that with a show at the end of the year recognizing all the work the designers have put in throughout the year on their own time,” English teacher and Fashion Society sponsor Danielle Fus said.

Although there are 15 club members, only nine participated in the show because of time constraints.

Designers were required to show Fus their sketches in December, but co-president Lex Payne, a senior, began preparations long in advance.

“I knew what line I was going to do for this year two years ago, and I started it last year before I was even done with last year’s line,” Payne said.

Payne’s line was Greek-inspired, with hardware accents like metal chains and washers. The outfits included different forms of draping and flowing fabrics similar to ancient Greek chitons.

The theme for this year’s show was bella notte—beautiful night. The backdrop depicted a sunset in Italy— inspired by the Disney movie The Lady and the Tramp. Payne said she and co-president Mimi Breves looked for something classy, but not too overpowering. Although the backdrop, t-shirts and program followed the theme of bella notte, designers chose individual themes for their lines.

As the show began, hosts Mia Carmel and Shabnam Parsa introduced the designers.

When it was senior Chelsea Markus’ turn to show off her designs, she captivated the audience with her American inspired line. She incorporated the American flag and camouflage into her line.

“I thought it would be fun to be a model for my last year of high school,” said senior Brendan Kelly, one of Markus’ models. “I’m never going to have a chance to do this again.”

Separated down the middle, Kelly’s jean shorts were half American Flag stripes and half American Flag stars. This was complemented by a white muscle t-shirt and an American Flag bandana.

After all the lines walked the runway, the designers congregated on the stage while the models stood throughout the auditorium so audience members could see the designs up close.

“It was really incredible to see the clothing up close, the audience could see all the details, which really showed how much work the designers put in for the show,” sophomore Julia Eisenberg said.

Fus said this year’s show stood out from other years.

“It feels a lot tighter this year, not time-wise, but their lines are more focused, which shows that they’re editing,” Fus said. “This year it’s more like they focused in on their vision, what they really want it to be and they’ve really created strong garments that represent that vision.”

Sophomore Michelle Hearn said that she felt honored to be a part of the show because it featured some of the best creative minds at Whitman.

“Next years show I can say with certainty will be even bigger and better,” Hearn said.

Video by Noah Clement.