The College of Design and the College of Textiles are sponsoring the sixth annual Art to Wear Fashion Show today at 8 p.m. in the Court of North Carolina.

Fifteen student designers from the colleges will have the opportunity to showcase designs they put together throughout last semester and this semester.

“The Art to Wear show is an annual compilation of both ready-to-wear fashion and conceptual art pieces designed by students,” Emily Cosgrove, co-director of the fashion show, a designer and senior in textile design, said.

According to Cosgrove, everyone participating in or watching the show benefits.

“For seniors, it is like their grand finale before graduation,” she said. “For everyone involved in the planning process, it is a huge learning experience. For the audience, it’s an exciting way to spend an evening.”

According to Lexa Dennis, junior in textile and apparel management and director of the fashion show, in February, a judging took place where 23 students tried out for participation in the fashion show. The judges then chose the final 15 students based on a variety of aspects.

“They were judged on their creativity of their concept and the technical aspects of garment making and their art,” Dennis said. “Also, the judges made a determination on how well they think the designers can continue this concept to create an entire line of clothing.”

The student designers will have a minimum requirement of three designs to showcase, according to Dennis. This year, the designers have a range of four to 10 designs.

“The students really look forward to having the chance to be in the show, [creating] a line and getting their name out there,” Dennis said. [It shows] everybody what the design school and textiles and really anybody at N.C. State can do creatively,” Dennis, said.

Cosgrove said she is presenting six designs that follow a theme called “Metamorphosis.”

“This line is a tribute to the evolution of women’s fashion and how it revolutionized the 20th century,” Cosgrove said.

Dennis said the designers find their own models using students, friends or siblings to showcase their work.

Students from the Aveda Institute in Chapel Hill will do the models’ makeup, and local salons will come to do the models’ hair.

Last year, the fashion show hosted 800 audience members, and, according to Dennis, each year, the audience grows by about 200 people. This year, she expects close to 1,000 people to attend.

Cosgrove said the fashion show is also a good opportunity for prospective students to attend.

“For students that are considering becoming a textile major, the Art to Wear show is sometimes a huge draw,” Cosgrove said. “It is the only show like it on campus, and for those seeking careers in the fashion industry, it is a small taste of what they hope their future careers will lead to.”

According to Dennis, the Art to Wear Fashion Show came about for the first time when a faculty adviser made an “off-comment” to the classes about having a fashion show.

“It seems to be a really big morale booster for everybody toward the end of the year,” Dennis said. “It’s something fun to close out the year, and it’s also a great way that both colleges get to work together.”