By Taylor Driscoll, news correspondent
Backstage, they could hear the crowd roaring. The spotlight was peeking through the curtains and the models, all college students, lined up, ready for their cues. As the two hosts, Katrina Melesciuc from Her Campus and Kristen Uekermann from the “Boston Fashionista” blog, made it off the stage, it was the models’ time to shine.
Her Campus hosted College Fashion Week at Royale Nightclub. The models arrived at Royale at 9:45 a.m. to get ready for the 7 p.m. show — including two models from Northeastern University: Alex Morris, a fifth-year design major, and Sydney Leveckis, a fourth-year finance major.
“There was a lot of coordination,” Morris said. “We were given a schedule and broken up into five groups. One would get their makeup done, one would get fitted and so on.”
Morris has walked the runway for Her Campus three times prior, and has also done shows for Northeastern’s Fashion & Retail Society. Leveckis walked two years ago for Her Campus’ fashion show. Because of their prior experience, neither Leveckis nor Morris felt scared to be on the runway.
“As soon as you get in front of people, it all just goes away,” Morris said. “I like being in front of people. You get a sort of rush.”
The two-hour show featured a versatile range of styles, which Uekermann said showcased Boston’s unique fashion culture.
“In Boston, we have a lot of fashion designers and fashion entrepreneurs,” Uekermann said on stage. “I wanted to put a spotlight on that.”
The first of the brands to hit the runway was XIX Palms with its “Fierce Floral” collection. The Hawaiian beachwear brand’s designer took a spin on floral and summery patterns and transitioned them into fall-appropriate styles. With swaying dresses and off-the-shoulder blouses, this brand united bohemian fashion with fall flair. Leveckis said the collection was what caught her attention most.
Next was the brand Vetta with its collection “Minimalistic.” The brand launched a unique five-piece capsule set with the idea that all the pieces could work together to mix and match or to pair with other brands.
“You can create a whole lot of different outfits from these five pieces,” Uekermann said before the models walked the runway.
Morris’ favorite outfit of the collection displayed that night was from Vetta’s collection, which used eco-friendly fabrics.
“Vetta was really cool,” Morris said. “I felt like [it] was very versatile and simple but not boring.”
Cleobella, a Bali-based company, lit up the stage with its collection “Modern Romance.” Models walked down the runway in lace and elegant patterns. The collection was marketed for special nights, like date night or a night on the town with friends.
For the finale, the highly anticipated Primark Fall Collection made its debut. The collection featured distinct styles from flowy dresses to bulky jean jackets and mesh shirts.
“There are so many different styles,” Uekermann said. “No matter what your style is, you can pick pieces [from the collection.]”
Guests left with new merchandise and a new insight into what this fall will bring as customers start to shop for a new, seasonal wardrobe.
The fashion show left Morris and Leveckis with many memories, they said. Happy with how the show ended this year, Leveckis cannot wait for the next.
“I will definitely reach out to them again,” Leveckis said. “Might as well take them on one last time.”
