Last Sunday night, UC Berkeley made it work.

In the Chevron Auditorium at International House, Fashion and Student Trends (FAST), UC Berkeley’s student-run organization that aims to connect Cal students with the fashion industry, ran its semi-annual fashion show. The show featured pieces from 16 student designers, worn by over fifty student models. I had a front-row seat reserved with my name on it, which, in case you were curious, does indeed make me a Big Deal.

But moving on.

FAST president Lyka Sethi said that Sunday night’s fashion show was a half year in the making.

“We work all semester to make the event happen, from securing the venue, lighting company, staging and DJ to coordinating with hair and makeup artists to establishing sponsorships and acquiring nonprofit partners to getting funding to recruiting and assisting designers to publicity and beyond… there is so much to do all semester and even after the show we are left with a lot of loose ends to tie up, so it never really calms down,” she said.

Now, as someone who once watched an entire season of Project Runway in one sitting (I can’t remember if Heidi was pregnant or not… probably due to the fact that my brain has melted as a result of watching an entire season of Project Runway in one sitting), I was tempted to view the pieces presented with a critical eye worthy of Michael or Nina. I even wore a black turtleneck and sunglasses in preparation.

Expectedly, there was a limited range in quality of production value; some designs were better executed than others, and not every piece was exactly my cup of tea, style-wise. However, on the whole I was absolutely amazed at the designs on the runway, not in the least because of all the time they must have taken to create. There is no fashion major at Cal; the designers who work through FAST have a variety of other academic and extracurricular obligations, but they pursue their passion for fashion (I hope I don’t get sued by the Bratz corporation) nonetheless.

Case in point: sophomore Wesley Yu is a math major, and he initially was hesitant to get involved with FAST because he thought people would think it was odd. He had no fashion experience but was interested in the field, and after three semesters he finally worked up the courage to throw himself into designing. Fast forward six months, and his metallic gold and silver designs are making their way down the runway.

“FAST is great because it lets anybody become a designer- with or without experience,” he said. “When I first joined, I had no experience at all and had no idea what different fabrics were called, or how to sew with a sewing machine or even by hand. The people in FAST were really supportive and helped me get through these challenges. One of the members even lent me her sewing machine. I’m really thankful that I had this opportunity.”

And FAST gives opportunities to more than just aspiring designers. Sophomore Teresa Jiang decided to audition to be a model for the show on a whim, and ended up walking for two designers. She said that being a part of the process was incredibly inspiring.

“It was really quite a treat to be involved in the show,” she said. “I was exposed to something that I had never seen before. I didn’t really realize how much effort goes into making a skirt or a dress. But seeing the whole process from this side was an awe-inspiring experience.”

Some of my personal favorites from the show included a line by Caliber’s own Ming Cong, which was inspired by pop artists Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, and featured spiky shoulders that would feel at home on any Lady Gaga wardrobe item, meat-based or otherwise. Other lines drew inspiration from the carnival, Alice in Wonderland and Frida Kahlo. Popular trends included flowy summer dresses, cutouts and bold prints.

For her collection, designer Adrienne Chiu channeled 18^th century court life, combining structured, traditional styles with more modern silhouettes. She said that seeing her work on display was unforgettable.

“It was exhilarating,” she said. “I was nervous and relieved right before they walked on the runway because I was glad that I had managed to finish in time, but I was still making adjustments and making sure everything fit properly. But the moment the first dress was on the runway, all the nervousness went away and I was giddy with excitement. I watched from behind the door and couldn’t stop smiling.”

So next week, lovely Cal Bears, when you are sitting in that physics final, take a look around you. Your neighbor may be the next Marc, Coco or Louis, and that may not be an equation they’re drawing out, but a dress pattern. Hey! Eyes on your own paper!

Auf wiedersehen!

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