Athens – The cold weather isn’t stopping students from strutting their stuff. UGA fashion design and merchandising students have a full week of fashion-filled activities ahead. Reporter Alison Menhart shows how students are participating in UGA’s fashion week.

There will be a new event every day for Fashion Week and it all leads up to two fashion shows on Thursday and Friday. The festivities began with a kick off party last night at Magnolia’s. All of the student models from a group called The Agency gathered to celebrate.

Nia Washington, a PR student and fashion merchandising minor, is excited for the challenge of the week. “It’s exactly what the real world will be like,” she said.

Halley Markert, the president of the Student Merchandising Association, agrees. “It’s different organizations coming together. Everyone brings something different. Not just your stereotypical fashion show,” Markert said.

Each event of the week is sponsored by a different on-campus organization. There will be keynote speakers both today and tomorrow.

Lucie Reynolds is the president of the Fashion Design Student Association. She talked about what goes into putting on the fashion show. “[We are] brainstorming ideas of how to get people interested in fashion,” she said. “It’s a way for students to practice their skills and creating their own designs.” She also showed off a few of her designs which will be debuted at the fashion show.

Friday at 8:30 a staircase in the Miller Learning Center on campus will turn into a runway for the models in the Royal Affair fashion show.

All proceeds from the SMA fashion will go to the Alzheimer’s Association and the FDSA show proceeds will benefit the designers in the show.

Each fashion show is expected to bring in two to three hundred people.