Sixteen student designers transformed the glass greenhouse at Michigan State University's Horticulture Gardens into a fashion runway on April 30, staging the first Studio 450 Fashion Show for a crowd packed along both sides of the walkway in East Lansing.
The student-organized event, now gaining wider attention after MSU highlighted it on social media Tuesday, Aug. 11, gave Apparel and Textile Design majors a professional-grade showcase for original collections they built from scratch.
"Our efforts were met with an overwhelming response, resulting in a remarkable pool of applicants and the selection of a stunning venue at the Horticulture Gardens," Fernando Caccia, co-founder of Studio 450 and a graduating senior at the time, said in a College of Arts & Letters feature published July 20.
Caccia organized the show alongside fellow students Jillian Kelly, Reagan Wiley, Tony Cox and Evelyn Short. The team coordinated designer submissions, model castings with full-body photos and recorded walks, promotion and logistics for the 7 to 10 p.m. event at 1066 Bogue St.
The collections ranged widely. Short presented two looks from "Mirabelle," a bridal-inspired series dedicated to her grandmother featuring 1970s silhouettes, plus a machine-knit shawl from her "Grace" knitwear line. Angel Ennis debuted "Eclipse," exploring challenges people of color face in underfunded student communities. Allyson Pollitt, who designs as Allyson Rose, assembled "Soft Armor" entirely from thrifted lace, mesh, tablecloths, bed sheets and curtains.
One model walked the greenhouse runway in a fitted black-and-gold outfit trailing a long black tulle train as the audience watched from inches away.
Both Caccia and Short had already attended New York Fashion Week in September 2025 as winners of the MSU Trademarks and Licensing ATD BFA Fashion Week Award. Three other Studio 450 designers, Kelly, Tristian Laney and Wiley, showcased adaptive garments at the Fall 2025 iBRAIN "iCAN Do Anything" Fashion Show during NYFW, designing custom clothing for students with brain-based disabilities.
Victoria Churchill, the Horticulture Gardens' event coordinator, helped bring the students' vision to life at the 14-acre campus garden site, according to Caccia.
No second Studio 450 show has been officially announced, though participants have expressed interest in continuing the event.
Upcoming MSU arts events:
- Saturday, Oct. 3 — An Evening With Sutton Foster, Wharton Center
- Friday, Oct. 9, 7:30 p.m. — Endea Owens & The Cookout, Pasant Theatre (tickets from $47)
