Miami’s next top models

A sea of 300 black-clad students lined up outside Armstrong 3056 to answer Miami University Fashion and Design’s (MUF&D) 21st annual model casting call.

The turnout surpassed last year’s numbers.

“It’s definitely going to be the biggest show yet,” said Taylor Fletcher, modeling co-director and senior psychology major with a minor in fashion.

Modeling co-director Bella O’Bryan, a senior marketing major with a co-major in fashion and corporate business and a minor in finance, said MUF&D prioritizes presence over portfolios.

“You don’t need experience in every part,” O’Bryan said. “You just need that attitude and that willingness to try and put yourself out there.”

For modeling hopefuls, all students were eligible to try out — regardless of experience level.

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The organization hosted two bootcamps the week before casting to prepare newcomers, where modeling directors and past models explained audition expectations and taught runway fundamentals.

But attracting new talent didn’t stop there. Recruitment efforts went beyond Mega Fair and social media posts. Fletcher said she recruited students off the street. She handed them model casting cards with information about workshops and casting.

The outreach intrigued a variety of experienced and first-time hopefuls, including first-year exploratory studies majors Heather Lucas and Anna Spivak.

“I wanted to do modeling since I was a little girl, so I thought this would be a fun thing to do,” Lucas said.

While Lucas had never modeled before, Spivak brought child modeling experience. Spivak said her interest in fashion drove her to get involved again in college. Both said their tryouts went smoothly.

Upon arrival at the audition, attendees underwent a multi-step, 30-minute process.

Candidates got measurements and headshots taken before they moved to the practice room. Inside, coaches offered feedback on their practice walks.

In the final room, prospective models took to the stage. They walked and posed twice. The MUF&D president, vice president and modeling directors scored each walk.

The panel evaluated five main characteristics. Technical criteria included posture, speed and upper body movement. However, the directors said confidence and a good attitude mattered most.

Beyond individual scoring, club leadership said diverse representation remains a top priority.

“Something we look for in casting that’s really important is that the fashion show and models represent not just what you stereotypically see on a runway … but that it represents Miami’s student body and all the different cultures that make up the student body,” O’Bryan said.

MUF&D’s president, vice president and modeling directors met on Oct. 5. They reviewed their scores and comments from the casting. The executives trimmed the initial 300 candidates down to approximately 200 models.

Final placement decisions now fall to the show’s designers.

This year, MUF&D selected a record 21 student designers. Because each designer typically creates between five and 10 looks, O’Bryan said she expects they will feature over 100 different outfits and models.

Designers will handpick their models based on their visions for their collections.Models will receive decision emails three to four weeks after tryouts.

The club will celebrate the casting with a November reveal party. There, models discover which designers chose them for their collections.

The group will end the semester with one practice in early December. During the spring semester, weekly practices begin.

MUF&D also offers other opportunities for students not interested in modeling.

“I just immediately gravitated towards it because it’s not just modeling,” said Naomi Galas, past MUF&D model and junior marketing major with a studio art minor. “There’s so many other different meetings or groups inside this big organization. I’ve gone to marketing and PR meetings before, because that’s my major. I’ve gone to business meetings before and worked on my LinkedIn. That’s what made it special.”

The organization plans to reveal the fashion show’s theme in February. The final runway is scheduled for April 24, 2027.

wadzinej@miamioh.edu