Student designers showcase their collections during the Spring Fashion Production Association Runway Show in 2025. Credit: Courtesy of FPA
Ohio State’s Fashion Production Association will host their annual spring fashion runway show this weekend. This year’s theme is “Art of Fashion: A Night at the Gallery.”
The student organization, also known as FPA, will hold the event Saturday at the Ohio Union’s Archie Griffin Ballroom from 6 to 9 p.m.
Lizzie Garver, a fourth-year in fashion retail studies and co-director of design for FPA, said each year’s theme is chosen with the audience in mind, and is up for interpretation by the designers.
“Designers can choose any type of art, whether it’s a movie, album, painting, etc. and interpret it in their own way through their garments,” Garver said in an email. “Every year, we have all members in the org brainstorm together to come up with a few ideas that people are inspired by and then vote on their favorite theme.”
Ellie Michaelis, a fourth-year in marketing and co-president of FPA, said the production members spend a lot of time preparing for the event.
“Production is doing all of the marketing and the social media and the fundraising,” Michaelis said. “Our entire year, both semesters, is spent fundraising, promoting, planning and building up for our spring fashion show.”
Garver said there is a unique addition to the styles audiences can expect to see this year.
“This year, I think there was an increased interest in the number of designers knitting entire looks, and even entire collections,” Garver said. “This construction method is very time-consuming, but is a fun contrast to the traditional and popular sewn garments, so I am excited to see those on the runway this year!”
Michaelis said while the designers have creative freedom, the production team works with them to understand their visions.
“It is a very open-ended thing, but we also try to guide all the designers to make sure that it’s not all over the place and the audience can truly understand the story that they’re trying to tell through their collection,” Michaelis said.
Garver said the runway show is great exposure for the designers as they begin their professional journey with fashion.
“The FPA Runway show plays a significant role for the creative and professional development of its designers,” Garver said. “Designers are not just sewing, they are ideating, sketching, researching, and problem-solving all school year to learn how to translate their inspiration into a strong final product they are proud of.”
Michaelis said the materials used to bring the pieces to life are primarily self-funded by the designers.
“When our designers design and start constructing their garments, they actually pay out of pocket,” Michaelis said. “We do give them resources and we do have some funds, or some sort of fabric storage to help them create their designs, but when they are creating their designs, they can get very specific about a certain image. They might be looking for specific fabrics, and so that [cost] ends up being out-of-pocket.”
Garver said FPA offers a material closet that is available for designers to use if needed, intended to spare them from extra costs.
“FPA also has a closet filled with many different kinds of notions, patterns, fabric and many other materials that you might need to construct a look, which are all free to use as the designers need them,” Garver said. “As a student-run organization, FPA does as much as it can to support its students and works with each designer one-on-one every step of the way until the collection walks.”
Garver said the biggest challenge the designers faced was finding new sources for materials this year after their go-to fabric store, JoAnn Fabrics, permanently closed all of its locations in May 2025. She said this was their first time hosting the runway show after its closure.
“While we have the FPA closet of many various materials, most designers have to outsource at least a couple of materials themselves to cater to their unique inspiration,” Garver said. “[T]hey had to get creative in the ways they source materials.”
Michaelis said there will be a silent auction held prior to the event to support the designers.
“Our silent auction chair works with businesses within the community, businesses that our members might know or quite a few businesses in the Short North, asking them to donate some items for our style auction to raise money,” Michaelis said. “Money that we raise from the style auction actually goes back towards our designers.”
Michaelis said others should consider joining FPA, regardless of their major, given the opportunities the organization offers.
“We’re often asked if we’re only reserved for fashion majors or minors, and we’re definitely not,” Michaelis said. “We offer so many other experiences that aren’t solely related to fashion, like social media and the marketing and our corporate sponsorship and silent auction chairs. They’re working hand in hand with businesses [and]those skills aren’t exactly dedicated to the fashion experience.”
Tickets for FPA’s 34th annual runway show can be purchased on its EventBrite page.