Fashion show highlights law's lighter side

The apparel merchandising and interior design students aren't the only ones who know what it means to dress to impress. Phi Alpha Delta collaborated with the Black Law Students Association in organizing the first Law School Fashion Show, which took place Saturday at Axis Nightclub. The show featured tons of great styles that were categorized into scenes such as "Business Casual," "After 5," "Holiday Gala," "Business Professional" and "Summer Chic/Garden Party/Golf and Tennis." Students from the Law School strutted enthusiastically down the runway flaunting each ensemble.\n"The basic idea was that we wanted to give a spin to the job search presentation," said Amy VonDielingen, venue committee chairperson of the production. "We needed to come up with a fun way to get students feeling a little more comfortable when looking for jobs."\nLocal retail stores loaned the clothing and accessories modeled in the show. Sponsors included JR Stallsmith, L.S. Ayers, KS Menswear, deeAaron's Boutique, CHA CHA, Deb and TJ Maxx. \nFellow IU students were excited to see the final result of their classmates' hard work.\n"We're law student groupies," masters student Jason Rodocker said. "They went to all of these local stores to get the clothes. I think one model is even wearing a $600 suit."\nModels sporting the business casual look wore pinstriped slacks and jackets with button-down shirts. Khaki's and neutral tones brought down the formal look of the styles. Pastels and pinks gave a more feminine look to typical business attire. \nThe "After 5" look was accomplished with a touch of flavor and a laid-back attitude. Models set up the scene with a backdrop of themselves drinking cocktails and mingling while the models before them strutted down the runway in their "After 5" attire. The women wore red, black and pink, giving a softer look for a night on the town. Men achieved a laid-back style with their shirt sleeves rolled up for the "After 5" look.\nThe "Holiday Gala" scene was classy and sassy, full of satin sequins and stunning suits. The men wore Kenneth Cole tuxedos and Tommy Hilfiger and Joseph Abboud suits. The Joseph Abboud suit cuts fuller in the hips and backside, specialized for fuller men, such as athletes. Men also wore sophisticated double-breasted coats and silk ties. Women wore full-length halters, fitted down to the knee and flared out into a full skirt. One dress had black and white sequin stripes contouring the body. Another look was an all black, fitted dress with silver embroidery at the fullest part of the dress. \nThe law students proved business professional fashions don't necessarily translate into basic and boring. Two-button collars, slacks and fitted jackets were typical for the men. \nWomen radiated confidence and professionalism in fitted black skirts or a pair of straight slacks with a button-down shirt and a jacket to tie it all together. Black was the dominating color for the business scene.\nThe "Summer Chic/Garden Party/Golf and Tennis" scene was fresh, fun and emulated the lighthearted aura of the entire production. Tommy Hilfiger shirts, dresses and even suits perfected the look for a Sunday, country club brunch or a day out on the range.Women wore tennis visors, plaid capri pants and tennis skirts. V-neck sweaters and a polka dotted evening dress brought class to this selection.\nPhi Alpha Delta and the BLSA delivered a show radiating the fun and casual feeling associated with spring. The chosen attire fit appropriately with the designated scene. \nLisa Adelman, law professor and chair executive of the show, said the show wasn't just for entertainment, but served a specific purpose. \n"We wanted to educate law students on how to dress for different legal scenarios in law firm life," Adelman said. "I thought it was a huge success. We are even planning on doing this again in the future."\nThe show portrayed possible situations calling for specific looks. Whether dressing for an interview at a prestigious job, a night out on the town or just a relaxing summer afternoon, law students definitely met the dress code. They snagged the styles of spring and did so with pure enthusiasm and high spirits, identifying themselves as fun law students with a flair for fashion.