More than 125 runway-ready fashion garments and more than 60 works of art will make their first public appearance on Friday thanks to the creative visions of students at Mount Mary University.
In its third year, CREO is a fusion of live fashion shows, an Honors Show art exhibit, and a charity auction to benefit students’ community service projects.
CREO, meaning “to create, to produce” in Latin, culminates a year of work for students in fashion design, fashion merchandising, art and graphic design, according to university officials.
The event “shines a very bright light on them…and underscores the level of creativity and innovation and talent that we have here at Mount Mary,” said Lynn Sprangers, vice president of community impact at the Milwaukee-based university.
This year’s three fashion shows and art exhibit, to be held at the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee, play into the theme of “Pulse” in line with “the melodic movements of needle and thread,” according to the university.
The shows are modelled after high-profile fashion shows in fashion meccas across the globe.
“It’s intended to be a professional, New York-style, live runway show, and it is,” said Barbara Armstrong, dean of Mount Mary’s School of Arts & Design.
Preparations for CREO began last fall largely under the guidance of Mount Mary students, who are responsible for conceiving the theme, coordinating most of the logistics and running the shows from start to finish.
“It is a student production,” Sprangers said. “They really are responsible for the look and the feel of CREO.”
Student participant Loredana Farhad, a fashion merchandise management major in her second year at Mount Mary, said CREO gives fashion students in particular a chance to showcase their creative capacities to the greater Milwaukee community.
“Having this every year is just a good reminder to the public and the community that we have something to offer to this industry,” said Farhad, who is part of the fashion show coordination class that irons out the details of the day.
University officials expect close to 500 attendees at each fashion show.
Along with BizTimes Media, 2014 CREO sponsors are BMO Harris Bank, Enterforce, Inc., Goldi, Harley-Davidson Motor Company, MillerCoors, Brady Corp., 2-Story and M Magazine.
CREO, which is open to the public, will feature fashion shows at 1:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Ticket prices vary among shows. The art exhibit and auction, free for patrons, will be open for viewing from noon to 10 p.m.
The Harley-Davidson Museum is located at 400 W. Canal St. in Milwaukee.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.mtmary.edu/creo.
