MUF&D celebrates 20 years with annual fashion show ‘Allure’

For years, the fashion world has captivated thousands of people — Miami is no exception. Over the past 20 years, Miami University Fashion and Design (MUF&D) has hosted its annual fashion show, showcasing the designs of fashion and non-fashion majors alike. With over 900 members, MUF&D is Miami’s largest student-run organization.

This year’s show, “Allure,” will take audiences on a journey, exploring the mystique and intrigue of fashion. The show is brought together by 22 designers and 87 models, as well as dozens of executive and general members. MUF&D anticipates an audience of over 2,000 people, making this the largest in the organization’s history and one of the biggest student-run shows in the nation, according to a press release from MUF&D.

At the show, audience members will see shimmer, elegance and grandeur. What isn’t shown is the hundreds of hours of work that go into planning every minute detail.

Sara Rose Detwiler and Audrey Fitzgerald, the president and vice president of MUF&D, began planning “Allure” after last year’s show, “Mosaic,” was completed.

“Right away [Audrey and I] met, and we decided what we wanted the show’s theme to be,” said Detwiler, a senior strategic communications major. “So that was in May of 2025, [we knew] what the show was going to be.”

The duo came up with the theme “Allure” to represent the appeal and mystique of MUF&D and the fashion world in general. Detwiler said that much of what draws students in is the mystery and excitement of the whole process — it’s alluring.

Additionally, Detwiler said that she and Fitzgerald, a senior emerging technology and fashion student, wanted to pay homage to the runways and fashion shows that defined the 2010s, as well as her childhood. Images such as Victoria’s Secret Angels, catwalks and shining lights created a sense of nostalgia that Detwiler wanted to highlight in this year’s show, as well as the artistry that goes into making the event possible.

“We have all these very fun and mysterious, sexy things,” Detwiler said, “but there’s also such a humility and craftsmanship and hard work that goes on behind the scenes … you’re seeing all the shiny lights and the spectacle and the silhouettes on stage, and then we’re also taking you behind the curtain.”

Audiences only see a small fraction of the work that goes into creating what is eventually a whole, unique project — the same goes for every live performance. However, in this case, audiences rarely see the intricate detail and planning that comes with each design, only the final product.

After a round of interviews where potential designers share their ideas for a collection — or their curated group of clothing that would be presented in the fashion show — Design Directors Lorelei Huber, a senior chemical engineering, chemistry and fashion student, and Cami Keaty, a senior marketing and fashion student, decide whether the collection would be a good fit for the show. After the designers are chosen, they begin preparing their collections for the runway.

“What people don’t know is that it’s hours and hours of work and very late nights, just constantly in the studio,” Keaty said. “So from beginning to end, you have to come up with your concept. You do sketches, and then it’s pattern making and doing live fits with your models to make sure that the patterns fit right, then samples and then final construction.”

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These garments allow designers to express their creativity and passion.

“We have these ideas for our collection in our heads [for] like years beforehand sometimes, and you cannot shut your brain off,” Huber said. “You just never can leave your collection mode, the creation mode. You’re in a constant flow state all year round.”

Along with MUF&D’s Collab collection — a dedicated collection that includes a piece from each designer and follows the show’s main theme — they introduced a new collection this year: The emerging designers collection, “Decadence.” According to Huber, five new, up-and-coming designers are part of this year’s collection, each designing one look. The emerging designers collaborate, working with the collection’s central theme, while also allowing their own style to shine through.

“[The collection] is a really fun way to get new designers into MUF&D and have them get a year’s worth of experience that they might not have gotten if we had just said we were making cuts this year,” Keaty said.

The designers are not the only ones to gain experience from MUF&D. Models have the opportunity to speak with scouting agents invited to the show, which helps them build connections in the fashion industry. Many model alumni have gone on to get signed, even working at New York Fashion Week, according to modeling directors Ava Britford, a senior political science student, and Madelyn Wood, a senior arts management and arts entrepreneurship student.

MUF&D has impacted thousands of students, illustrating the fashion industry’s influence on Miami and the world.

“‘Allure’ is our ode to 20 years,” Fitzgerald said. “Tying in what is so alluring about MUF&D, we both knew we wanted it to be red and grand, and just kind of go back to the simplicity of a runway … and just taking everyone into that world of ‘Allure.’”

“Allure” takes place at 7 p.m. April 25 in Millet Hall. The doors for the fashion show will open at 5 p.m., with a “pre-show experience” awaiting in Millet’s lobby. The dress code is semi-formal attire featuring black, white or red. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased at mufashiondesign.com.

pedenae@miamioh.edu