The crowd at Madison Avenue is shockingly dense for 10 p.m. on a Thursday. Top 20 hits play softly in the background as University of Wisconsin students crowd around the small stage at the back of the nightclub. Suddenly the music fades, instantaneously silencing the crowd. A young man enters, announcing the beginning of what is sure to be an entertaining event. Soon, two adorable female models bounce up the stage stairs in nothing but a pair of elaborately designed bra and panties. No, this is not an overly raunchy night at Mad Ave but a stellar, completely student-run fashion show.
Two UW students, Maggie Barber and Kyra Lawrow, decided to independently sponsor a risqu? lingerie show with no other intention than to have a good time.
“We just thought it would be a fun event to do,” Barber said.
“It’s something different. It gets peoples’ designs out there,” Lawrow said.
The two design students wanted to do something less serious than the runway shows sponsored by the university and thought this would be the perfect opportunity. They funded the entire project themselves and have chosen to donate the 60 percent proceeds from ticket sales to charity.
And their show was a hit. Mad Ave was full of screaming girls and drooling guys who came to support their friends, house fellow or just to enjoy the sexy show. It was no Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, but it was entertaining. The show featured the work of 12 talented UW students. The 24 designs varied in style and sex appeal. One model wore a ’50s-inspired candy-striped pink set, while another worked a white, lace teddy. The fun continued as leopard-print panties, floral prints and hot red bras worn by gorgeous UW students flew down the runway while M.I.A.’s “Bamboo Banga” and Shiny Toy Guns’ “Le Disko” pumped in the background.
One of Barber’s personal favorites was the zebra-print bra and panties worn by veteran model Lena Song, a senior house fellow double majoring in business and international relations. Lawrow, on the other hand, preferred the Eskimo-themed outfit, which featured gloves and furry boots.
Among the 14 models was junior Jess DuBois, a pre-nursing student. When asked how she felt about walking in front of a crowd in skimpy lingerie, she responded, “Awesome! I was nervous coming out, but once I got on the stage, it was all fun.”
Although male models accompanied most of the girls, the men wore basic boxers from brands like American Apparel and Fruit of the Loom.
“The show was meant to be all about the girls and their outfits,” Barber and Lawrow said. The men may have been dull and awkward, but the girls were not. As they took turns dominating the runway, the models looked like they were genuinely enjoying themselves, and that is what made the show great.
After the final couple exited the stage, the models lined up for the finale and were greeted by overwhelming applause. But do not fret if you missed out on the intimate event; the large turnout and impressive student designs guarantees the lingerie show will return to Mad Ave next year.
