Tuesday, October 7th, 2008

Photo

<p>Jennifer Press (left), and Paul Pastor hosted the Retail
Management Association&#8217;s third ann

Jennifer Press (left), and Paul Pastor hosted the Retail Management Association’s third ann

Anderson students hold fashion show benefit

Students from the UCLA Anderson School of Management’s Retail Management Association held their third annual fashion show last night at the Anderson Alumni Plaza.

This year’s show, titled “Faces of L.A.,” featured attire representing Malibu, Brentwood, Hollywood, Sunset, downtown and Beverly Hills.

“We wanted to stick with local stores and designers,” said Andrea Costantini, the association’s president and the director of this year’s show. “(The show) shows the different styles of L.A.”

The show will benefit Clothes the Deal, a non-profit organization that helps thousands of low-income job seekers acquire donated business clothing to suit them for success in the job market.

“Faces of L.A.” showcased 25 models comprising one professional model, Anderson School Dean Bruce Willison and 23 Anderson graduate students.

The student models were chosen based on the committee members’ recommendations and the responses to a mass e-mail sent out to all Anderson students asking for model nominations.

“I got a call from Andrea (Costantini) three weeks ago, asking me to model for the show,” said Ari Zainuddin, a first-year Anderson student. “I thought it would be an awesome time.”

Paul Pastor and Jennifer Press, both Anderson graduate students, hosted the show for the second consecutive year.

The committee was made up of about 30 Anderson students, mostly first-years, who spent three months planning for the event.

“The most difficult part was coordinating such a complex project and working with our limited budget,” Costantini said.

RMA members made it a priority to recruit lots of sponsors because the club and university money they had for the show covered only 20 percent of the expenses.

“Just the lighting cost $3,000, and the stage was another $12,000,” Costantini said, adding that the monetary value of the show was close to $100,000.

Although the budget was tight, Costantini said that last year’s show made a “few thousand dollars” profit, and he is hoping for the same kind of success this year to donate to Clothes the Deal.

Not surprisingly, the marketing aspect of “Faces of L.A.” was crucial in pulling off a successful show.

Ives Moraes, another first-year Anderson student, served as the vice president of marketing for this year’s show, coordinating ticket sales, advertising and sponsorship.

The main sponsor for the show was Skyy Vodka, whose representatives provided complimentary drinks before the show. Other sponsors included Speedo, Sterling Capricio and Giuseppe Franco Salon.

“UCLA students are my customers,” said Lisa Stern, owner of Ma Jolie, a clothing store in Brentwood Square. “(The show) is great because my store carries clothes appropriate for business students.”

Hair and make-up experts also gave their time and products to the show in exchange for advertisement.

“The girls looked great in my clothes,” Stern said, adding that it was a “pleasant experience” to work with the Retail Management Association.

“It was a great show,” said Ashley Stallworth, who attended the event to support her friends modeling in the show. “These guys worked so hard and you can really tell.”