Students to strut for smiles

High philanthropic ambition mixed with a love of high fashion was the initial inspiration for what is now known all across campus as Strut for Smiles.

However, when the idea for the fashion benefit show first entered the minds of IU freshmen Amy Chen and Samantha Loeffler back in October, neither would be able to predict the amount of hype the project would create.     

“It’s much bigger than I ever imagined,” Loeffler said. “Originally I was thinking of hosting 50 guests, but I never guessed we would be able to pair with Midwest Fashion Week.”  

With the partnership and guidance of Midwest Fashion Week creator and designer Berny Martin, the event immediately set its aspirations higher. Now the project is planned for 7 p.m. Monday and will be at the Indiana Memorial Union Alumni Hall.

“We took a dive, but we didn’t know where to begin,” Chen said. “We no longer wanted a little fashion show; we wanted a huge production.”

Chen and Loeffler were able to gain monetary support from Compass Fellowship, an on-campus entrepreneurship group, and  Midwest Fashion Week for marketing, photographers and host site. However, their work was only about to begin.

Though they had a formal model casting call, Chen was proactive, approaching people in Starbucks and asking people she knew.

The final cut produced 26 models who had a training session with Martin, who emphasized choreography and runway etiquette.

However, their strut will carry more purpose than the typical runway model because the night has a larger cause with all of the proceeds going to charity.

“We wanted to do something to give back, and we chose Operation Smile because it’s a great program,” Loeffler said.

Operation Smile has been an active agent in providing free surgical reconstruction to children who suffer from cleft lip, cleft palate or other facial deformities.

“I couldn’t imagine any child having to live with that,” Loeffler said. “This organization helps these kids to smile.”

So far 50 tickets have been sold at $10 each, and $1,200 dollars has been donated via www.strutforsmiles.com. However, Strut for Smiles’ goal is to sell out the event, making the grand total of proceeds surpass $6,000.

“I know we’re all starving college kids and paying $10 isn’t fun,” Wels said. “But the cause is definitely worth it.”

Along with their personal strives for ticket sales, the greek community is getting involved.

“Whichever greek house has the most ticket sales will get 10 percent of the proceeds for their own charity,” Chen said.

The Strut for Smiles volunteer coordinator, IU freshman Christopher Kauffman, is currently working with DJ Jordan Davis for the production’s music, and said it is a big deal for him to stand back and look at something in awe.

“I have never seen a student organization so put together,” Kauffman said. “With the way everything has come together, I feel like it has come straight out of Vogue.”

Also in support of the production will be guest speaker and Operation Smile foreign volunteer Dr. Scott Walker and hip-hop dance acts JMUSE and Hip Hop Connxion.   
Chen said the hip-hop performances will be during the intermission of the show and connect the style between the two parts of the show.

“The theme will be ‘The Corners of New York: From Brooklyn to the Hamptons,’” Chen said. “The edgy hip-hop will not only be entertaining and add diversity to the show, but link the artsy fashions of Brooklyn to the class of the Hamptons.”

With a mix of both local boutique showcases such as Cha Cha and national brands like Lacoste, Levi’s, Ralph Lauren, Free People, Calvin Klein, Tulle and American Rag, provided by Macy’s, the production will serve a wide variety of tastes.

Kauffman said the show will set an all-new level of expectation as to how campus events are held.

“I would like to see people walk out with their jaws to the ground because they too underestimated our generation’s potential,” Kauffman said.

Chen said she hopes it will be something people will remember and something she and Loeffler can do next year with the focus on a new charity in order to “spread the love.”

“I can’t wait,” Wels said. “It will be a night we can all have fun and strut.”