VIM Magazine, Michigan State University’s student-run fashion magazine, put on its first ever fashion show coupled with the launch event for its spring issue on April 22 at the East Lansing Marriott Hotel.
“A few very passionate Apparel and Textile Design students and VIM members came to us in the fall and pitched the idea of working with ATD students to put on a fashion show,” said Hannah Bullion, MSU senior and co-editor-in-chief of VIM Magazine. “This was the first time we ever put on an event of this magnitude, so it was important that we made it inclusive of all student designers on campus, not just those specifically studying apparel and textile design.”
The fashion show was spearheaded by co-editors-in-chief, Bullion and Julia Le and VIM’s fashion show director, Thomas Messenger, and his team, and allowed 16 student designers to showcase their work on the runway.
“I was more than happy to take this on because I love it so much,” Messenger said. “I’m really happy with the result. I think it turned out really well. I think a lot of people enjoyed it. I heard a lot of good things about it so I’m happy that we did it as successfully as we did.”
The event was planned entirely by VIM members, giving them an opportunity to get first-hand experience at event planning and execution.
“Students were a part of creating the budget, collaborating with designers and marketing the event to the public,” Bullion said. “They now have these skills of event planning and running a fashion show that they can take on into the real world and, you know, maybe work at Fashion Week.”
Apart from the fashion show, VIM launched its spring issue of the magazine. The theme of the spring issue is local fashion, beauty and lifestyle companies, which are featured in articles throughout the magazine. VIM’s spring issue includes a diverse range of content including the cover, which features the “Year of Women” spread, “#MeTooMSU” and an interview with Gretchen Whitmer.
“Our spring issue was built around getting involved with your local community and learning to be sensitive of the issues that affect everyone,” Le said. “We wanted to give back to the communities that have supported VIM from day one by highlighting a few of the local businesses. At the same time, we wanted to participate in the cultural and societal conversations currently happening to show that we’re not a one-dimensional platform. We all have voices that need to be heard. Taking part in these discussions can be a little intimidating, so we hope we made more approachable and accessible for everyone.”
In coming years, current editor-in-chiefs hope to see VIM continue to grow as well as see the fashion show become an annual event.
“VIM has been the most important learning experience I’ve had throughout my past four years of college,” Bullion said. “I joined as a freshman and naturally made my way to become a co editor in chief. I hope the future of VIM continues to be an inclusive space for students interested in fashion and the conversations that can be had around fashion. We know that possessing an interest in fashion and critical worldview are two things that are not mutually exclusive and we want to continue to share that with our peers across campus.”