Model Students enter the world of fashion

CLARE followers of fashion will have the opportunity next week to browse the spring/summer 2011 collections from 15 local businesses. Four ‘Model Students’ from St Flannan’s College in Ennis are holding a fashion show next Thursday in the West County Hotel in Ennis in aid of the Clare Crusaders, Clare 250 Mile Cycle and the school.
As part of TY, pupils at St Flannan’s come together in groups, under the tuition of teachers Therese Lillis and Sinéad Walsh and TY co-ordinator John O’Connor, to form their own mini-companies. As the only girls in their class, Niamh Daly, Dearbhla Ryan, Gemma McEvoy and Aoife Kelleher found it easy to make up their mini-company given their passions for fashion.
“Every year, a mini-company is set up in the school and we thought we would organise a fashion show. We are all interested in fashion and it had never been done before and we expect it to raise a lot of money. Organising it gives you a real feel of how a business is run, which is what we are supposed to be doing,” explained Niamh, who is in charge of sales and marketing with the business, aptly named The Model Students.
“It is an event management company and the proceeds from the fashion show are going to the TY end of year trip, Clare Crusaders and Clare 250m cycle. The four of us got together to come up with a plan to market the show, so to raise awareness we have a sign outside the West County, posters up and we made fliers and handed them out at a parent-teacher meeting,” she outlined.
Sixteen-year-old Dearbhla Ryan from Ennis took charge of the group’s finances. She explained how the seed money for the event was sourced.
“It is expensive. We had to hire the model agency. We had to go and research what ones would suit us best and in the end, we went with Celia Holman Lee. The seed capital we got from other mini-companies in our class; they sold wristbands and key rings and Christmas centre pieces. The profit they brought in from these we used to fund our business. We did a projected cash flow statement for the Clare County Enterprise Board Student Awards and we got the figures from that. We are hopeful that we will make a profit that we can give to the local charities,” she said.
Producing the style spectacle falls to 15-year-old Gemma McEvoy from Quin.
“The hardest thing was to get a date to suit everyone because all the shops wanted to have all their spring collection in. That is why we decided to go with the end of March as that would suit them best.
“Celia Holman Lee is providing some of the fixtures necessary like the lighting and that sort of thing but we went to the shops ourselves and got teachers and students in the school to volunteer modeling for us. We also sorted out the venue,” she recalled.
“We got a great response from the shops taking part. They were all really interested and eager to participate and while some have been in fashion shows lately, there is new stock coming in all the time and so there will be plenty to see for people who come to Thursday’s show,” she added.
“We have 15 shops and 10 outfits from each shop so it will be a long night but we have lots of entertainment from Irish dancing champion Anthony Sharkey and we have got singers and dancers to volunteer from the school as well to take part,” she continued. The outfits will be modeled by both professional models and members of the school community.
Fellow Quin resident Aoife Kelleher was selected to manage The Model Students.
“I assign all the jobs and make sure people do it but we are all involved in the different elements. Overall organisation has been going very well because a lot of people are eager to help. It is going to be a fun night. There is entertainment. There is a raffle with really good prizes and there will be stalls with flowers, jewellery, shoes, hats, accessories and make-up. So it will be very good,” she expects.
Anyone looking to get involved or seeking further information or tickets can contact the school. Tickets are also available from the West County Hotel, some pupils, the shops taking part in the show and on the door.
“Tickets went on sale this week and have been going really well so we would advise people to go out and get theirs now before they are all gone,” suggested Aoife.
There was a good omen last week for the event’s success after the girls won an award for their business plan at the Clare County Enterprise Board Student Awards held last Wednesday in the West County.
“Hopefully, everything will come together and the show will be a major success. As well as organising it we are modeling in it so we are trying on debs dresses in advance. We are really enjoying it, as we are all very interested in fashion,” Aoife concluded.
The St Flannan’s College fashion show takes place in The West County Hotel in Ennis on Thursday, March 24 at 8pm.