Rip the Runway Show a Huge Success

They did again. Except this time, it was bigger and better than last time. Students at Naugatuck High School held a fashion show dubbed "Rip the Runway" on April 20 that was attended by over 500 people and raised almost $3,000. Hosted by students Kaitlyn Florenzi and Tommy O'Brien, the evening was about more than fashion — it featured concerts and break dancing.

The annual event was launched last year by the high school’s DECA Club, a group of marketing students looking to raise money to attend an annual national conference in Orlando, Fla., at the end of April. DECA, which stands for "Distributive Education Clubs of America," is an elective class available for upper classmen. The student run event was presented a good opportunity for students take the lead on planning the event and managing multiple aspects of it.

The fashion show featured student models who wore clothes donated by Deb’s Dresses, a downtown Naugatuck consignment shop, and DeCarlo's Formal Wear Showcase. The Oxford Academy of Hair Design in Seymour also donated their services, according to teacher Tim Reilly.

The models were chosen in an way that really got students excited about the event, Emily Spaulding, the event’s 16-year-old publicist said.

“We held a promotion in the cafeteria, two models walk toward each other on a runway and whoever got the loudest cheers got to be the model in the show,” Spaulding said. The show featured models in formal wear, sports apparel, and even street clothes.

Attendees filled the entire bottom level of the auditorium and spread out into the top level.

“A lot of parents and students go,” she said. “My parents really enjoyed it.”

The most important thing, according to Spaulding, is that students get to put the money toward their trip to the DECA International Career Development Competition, which Spaulding describes as an ‘entrepreneurship competition.’

The conference is a a gathering of 14,000 high school students, advisors, businesspersons and alumni for several days. Most participants at ICDC compete in one of DECA's competitive events. The top competitors in each event are recognized for their outstanding achievements. In addition to the competitive events, many students and advisors participate in a variety of leadership and career advancing academies.