The clothes do make the man, or in this case, the woman.
The Northwestern Alumni Association hosted a dinner, fashion show and reception Thursday at Pick-Stager Concert Hall in which female NU students and young alumnae could mingle with Council of 100 members.
The council, a network of NU graduates who are leaders in their professions, gathered Wednesday and Thursday for its semi-annual meeting, and the concluding fashion show spotlighted the wardrobe of a young professional.
“We thought that rather than go to Paris, we’d bring the fashion world to us,” said Kathryn Mlsna, ’74 Weinberg and ’77 Law, the council’s new chairwoman.
After dining and socializing over dinner, about 30 students and 20 council members viewed the fashions of Casual Corner, Petite Sophisticate and August Max Woman, along with the makeup creations of Laura Mercier. Karen Page, Weinberg ’83, said the show displayed practical and affordable options for young women beginning their careers.
“This is a transition into a professional world,” said Page, an award-winning author. “(The council) is a phenomenal resource for undergraduate students. I wish I had this when I was at Northwestern.”
This attendance at the event was significantly lower than the 150 to 300 people he expected, said Phillip Emigh, a district manager of Casual Corner. He said he would like to continue this program but only upon the guarantee of a larger attendance.
“We would love to work with college girls because they need us,” Emigh said. “It was so fun working with the girls.”
Emigh presented six items — a blazer, skirt, slacks, striped shirt, solid shirt and twin set — which can be interchanged to create at least 10 outfits for about $350.
“When you get out of college, you don’t have a lot of money to invest because you don’t have that paycheck yet,” Emigh said. “We think this is how you’re going to get the job at your interview.”
To complement the new fashions, Laura Mercier makeup artists demonstrated techniques on the models and a volunteer from the audience. Sonia Mauseth, a Laura Mercier manager at Saks Fifth Avenue, said the goal is to make it look natural, unless the customer wants it to look like makeup.
“It’s not complicated, and you can get this done within 10 to 15 minutes in the morning,” Mauseth said. “I promise.”
This year the Alumni Association invited some students to model in the show, in contrast to simply displaying the clothing as they did last year. Weinberg senior Demetria Smith said this year’s fashion show was a big improvement from the last, which featured clothing from Marshall Field’s.
“I’d go get some of the Collectibles (collection),” Smith said. “I’m supposed to be getting into the job market after this year.”
The job search continues for Gwendolyn Kemper, Weinberg ’02. She struck a pose in this year’s show but said her participation was more fun than helpful.
“It increases your poise somewhat, but ultimately I don’t think it’s going to make a difference between me getting a job or not,” Kemper said.
But Mlsna said presentation is an important aspect of professionalism.
“Clothes aren’t everything, but they are one element of your being successful,” she said. “I’m very excited to have our Council members pass on some of our experiences and our insights. (The students and council members) are learning from each other.”
