 Zoe Vu is fitting her self-made romper on a model for Memphis Fashion Week.Â
Now in its fifth year, Memphis Fashion Week continues to give young talents their shot on the runway. Both emerging designers and models will have a chance to take their first step into the world of fashion when the event takes place in early April.
Aspiring designer Zoe Vu was born in Hawaii and graduated in graphic design at the U of M.
There will be an open model casting for the event Friday at Ballet Memphis. No previous experience is required, but models must be between 14 and 35 years old and bring a photo with them. Women need to be at least 5-foot-7; men should be at least 5-foot-10.
Memphis Fashion Week founder Abby Phillips said that, in total, 30-40 models will be chosen from the applicants. Several U of M students have been previously chosen for the event.
“Chosen models will walk the runway two nights for a total of six designers,†Phillips said. “They will even receive a payment for their work.â€
The event’s other opportunity for fashion newbies to present themselves is the Emerging Memphis Designer project. This year it features 17 women, who, until now, have only designed, sewed and knitted in their spare time. On April 9 they will present their ideas to the public during their very own runway show.
Amongst the young designers are several U of M graduates such as Zoe Vu, who moved to Memphis in 2010 to study graphic design.
“In my junior year of college, I volunteered to be a dresser and assistant for Memphis Fashion Week,†Vu said.
There, she met male model Joe Schmulian and started to work for his clothing line ‘Be A Beast’ as a graphic designer and creative art director.
“When I left ‘Be A Beast’, I knew that I wanted to start my own clothing line in the future,†the 23-year-old Vu said. “After graduating and landing a stable job, I saw the Emerging Memphis Designer project as the next logical step in my career.â€
She sent in her sketches and will be showing a mini dress, a romper and a long gown on the runway in April. Vu said she is excited to see how people will react to her collection.
“This will be the first time that I have made and shown any type of clothing to the public,†Vu said.
Vu currently works at the University of Memphis as a graphic designer in External Relations. She said she could see herself making a living from being a designer in the future, but doesn’t want to limit herself simply to fashion.
The Memphis Fashion Week has been a great support to the local scene since its advent in 2011. There will be three parties and two runway shows at different venues in the city this year.
All procedes from both events go to the Memphis Fashion Fund and the Memphis College of Art, which offers classes in fashion design, Phillips said.
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