By Sara Sybert
CincyChic
Feb. 28, 2020

Ticket sales for the 68th annual DAAP Fashion show has been put on hold indefinitely after the cancellation of in-person instruction and large in-person events at the University of Cincinnati, according to Laurie Wilson, adjunct professor for the Ullman School of Design at the College of DAAP.

The event was slated to feature 200 one-of-a-Kind creations on May 1 by senior fashion design students, modeled by dozens of models. UC models were scheduled to walk the region's Longest Runway at Waypoint Aviation Hangar at Lunken Airport in Cincinnati to a soundtrack by a live guest DJ.

It is uncertain when this might happen, said Wilson, who is an adjunct instructor and associate director of non-academic programming at the University of Cincinnati. She’s also the fashion show director for the annual Fashion Show event put on by students in the university’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP) program.

The DAAP Show is the largest and most innovative fashion show in the region, and has annually been a graduation event for seniors in the Fashion Design program at the UC, Wilson said.

The University of Cincinnati has been hosting the DAAP runway since 1951, and this year’s event would be the 68th annual fashion show.

The inspiration behind the show is showcasing hundreds of original, one-of-a-kind designs created by the future of fashion, Wilson said.

“The show is produced to introduce designers to industry professionals, community fashion influencers, and fans of fashion, and their friends and families,” said Wilson.

Each year the UC DAAP Fashion Show offers a unique experience for event attendees. This year there are 53 seniors graduating and no two collections are the same, giving way for plenty of diversity, she said.

“There will be approximately 250 outfits shown on 30-plus models as they walk the 300-foot runway at Waypoint Aviation,” said Wilson.

Wilson says that each of the collections produced by the students are thought out immensely, and the designs reflect that thought process. “There is such diversity in style, execution, and purpose; from clothing designed for young people with cerebral palsy to swimwear to outerwear, and there are even bridal collections,” she says. “The models that walk in the show continuously call it their favorite and they clamor to be a part of it.”

This year’s show was to include 53 new designers from graduating seniors, hundreds of new garments, and a new location. The location gives the edgy, industrial feel that students desire. This year’s runway will also be a floor level, within just a few rows of every audience member. Plans call for the 300-foot runway to be set up like a large rectangle, a new format for the show.

“It is much more like a New York Fashion Week environment than the raised stage we have had for years,” she says. “Macy’s and Victoria’s Secret, along with Rhinegeist, Ultimate Air Shuttle, and Waypoint Aviation have supported the show and we are extremely grateful.”

A new designer collection book, produced by Tether, will be available at the show and given to all VIP guests. Attendees would also have the opportunity to purchase a raffle ticket to win a roundtrip flyaway to New York City courtesy of Ultimate Air Shuttle.

VIP tickets are $150 and include a Meet the Designers reception in advance of the show, along with exclusive seating. Friends of Fashion tickets provide a reserved seat for the show and sell for $50. Sales, however, have been curtailed until further notice by DAAP officials.