Taking a look back at IU fashion

This is my last column of the year, and I must conclude fashion has been good to IU. Wednesday, in class, sophomore Laura Steichen asked me if I knew when the Women's Wear Daily college edition was hitting the stands and I told her around May 1. I must say, from the feedback I have received from WWD, I think IU will get a very good review. Not that we need WWD to tell us we look good, but it wouldn't hurt. \nLooking back at this year and this semester, we have come a long way. We went from tiered mini skirts in September to now wearing the A-line skirt. We saw UGGs come in, go out and come back into to style again. Coach bags in every color design and size possible and now everyone wants purple hair, including myself. Even the ballerina slippers were seen in every color and style imaginable. \nI was really happy to see so many fashion shows going on this semester that the arts desk didn't have enough people to cover them. Five student fashion shows were held this semester, and from what I hear and saw, they were very good. It is no surprise David Yassky, WWD fashion editor, was so impressed with our fashion design students. Kate Bondurant, a senior majoring in fashion design through the Individualized Major Program, designed a collection inspired by Russia, which was designer Cynthia Steffe's inspiration for fall 2005. Senior Carol Coelho blew her audience away with her intricate beading and feather design, while senior Kristi Carter looked back at the 1950s, almost the same concept of the AMO show. What can we say? Our fashion design students are on point. \nI have seen a lot of things this semester, but the best ones were things I wasn't supposed to see. One of the greatest moments for the Indiana Daily Student and fashion at IU was when staff Writers Mallory Zalkin, Jaqueline Klein, Photographer Christopher Farrar and I got into the Zac Posen show, and when Farrar and I got into "Project Runway." The most interesting moment is when IDS Managing Editor JP Benitez wore capris to work. I wish everyone could have seen that one. Wow, was it funny! \nThis semester we found out professional male models and female models hang out and go to school at IU, but also something more important: though racial tension tends to divide our campus year after year, I learned fashion has an amazing magnetism that will bring everybody together regardless of race or creed.\nCollege students attending school during the 2004-2005 school year were lucky to be able to enjoy the most fashionable CD drop, which is of course Gwen Stefani's solo album "Love. Angel. Music. Baby." Queen Gwen takes us from after-school fights on "Holla Back Girl," back-seat make-outs in "Bubble Pop Electric," fashionable and rich in "Luxurious" and all the way to the fashionable part of town in Japan in "Harajuku girls." But the most valuable lesson on the album came when she and Andre 3000, the most fashionable male in hip-hop, team up to explore interracial relationships on "We Have A Long Way To Go." The song is a testament that, though we might be young, beautiful and fashionable, there is work that still needs to be done, and who better to do it than those with style?