‘Scarlette’ magazine gala to showcase Ohio State fashion

Tessa DiTirro
Thu, 20 Mar 2014 02:55:56 +0000
Campus, fashion, gala, ohio state, osu, scarlette magazine

Sample of an editorial spread titled ‘Playtime is Over’ from ‘Scarlette’s’ upcoming spring-summer 2014 issue.
Credit: Courtesy of Allie Ezzo and Clare Gatto.

A little bit of New York Fashion Week with a Columbus twist is catwalking across campus.

Ohio State’s fashion magazine, “Scarlette,” is set to host its second annual gala Friday at 7 p.m. in the Reading Room on the 11th floor of William Oxley Thompson Memorial Library to celebrate the release of the sixth issue of the magazine.

The gala is “parlor games” themed, paralleling the theme of the cover of the sixth issue and all proceeds from the gala are set to be donated to the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

The evening is set to feature games with prizes, a silent auction, fashion show, a screening of a fashion film created by “Scarlette” and a dessert bar.

Amber Hammond, a fourth-year in international business and director of marketing for “Scarlette,” organized the gala. Hammond said she’s excited to bring an event to campus that is similar to an industry fashion event.

“We don’t want it to look like something a bunch of college students put together, we want it to look like the real deal,” Hammond said.

Editor-in-chief Mitch McGuire, a fourth-year in English and medieval and Renaissance studies, said he likes that “Scarlette” staff members think outside of the collegiate scene when it comes to fashion.

“Columbus is definitely a capital for mass market fashion, given that we are the hub for The Limited brands. We have more fashion opportunities than other similarly sized cities,” McGuire said.

The magazine tries to focus on Columbus fashion boutiques and local designers, but also incorporates fashion from New York and other big fashion markets, McGuire said.

“I think the breadth of editorials kind of makes the magazine what it is,” McGuire said.

“Inspiration inside,” which can be read on the cover of a “Scarlette” issue, is what the magazine stands for, and the staff’s goal is to highlight campus and Columbus beauty and individuality. About 40 Ohio State students with work with the magazine.

“Our mission with our organization and our magazine is to create an environment on campus where students feel comfortable expressing themselves through dress,” Hammond said.

Chloe Crites, a third-year in fashion and retail studies and the assistant styling director for “Scarlette,” said she enjoys working with local businesses and designers.

One of the local businesses the magazine has been working closely with for the gala is Out of the Closet in the Short North.

Out of the Closet, a thrift store that also provides HIV testing, is a business with donations going to the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

The store donated designer items to the “Scarlette” team for the gala. Hammond said she was thrilled to receive several pieces to be auctioned off at the gala, including a $1,000 Giorgio Armani suit with the tags still on.

Crites said she and the “Scarlette” staff are excited to hear students’ opinions and reactions at the gala.

“At the gala, students get to see the clothes in person, and students can talk to the team that created these looks and editorials,” Crites said. “You get this firsthand connection at the gala that you don’t always have with the magazine.”

The fashion show portion of the evening is set to begin at 8 p.m. and the models are set to be OSU students who are involved with “Scarlette” magazine.

Dress for the gala is semi-formal and admission is free if students wear red and RSVP on the “Scarlette Magazine” Facebook page. If students do not wear red or RSVP, Scarlette is asking for a $2 donation for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.