Students behind the scenes: Fashion event production team balances artistic vision and logistics 

By Vivian Richey  

As student fashion designers hustle to finalize their senior collections for the Manifest 2026 MADE@COLUMBIA fashion show, the students in charge of producing the event are facing their own challenges: a larger audience. 

Students in the Event Management Practicum class, taught by Associate Professor of Business and Marketing Robert Blandford, are responsible for producing the runway show itself, handling everything from logistics and spatial design to timelines and team coordination. 

This year’s Manifest moved to the Saturday before Commencement and is now open to more people, including alumni and the public. That shift has raised the stakes for the student-run production, expanding what has traditionally been a campus-centered event into a broader public-facing showcase. 

Senior Nevaeh Durkes, a music business major and assistant stage manager, said the Event Management Practicum course emphasizes preparation as the fashion event approaches, and that the process has shifted from uncertainty to momentum.  

“At the beginning, I was nervous about everything being done on time because it’s such a strict schedule,” Durkes said. “But we’ve done it, and I’m really excited for the event.” 

Much of what is happening behind the scenes relies on coordination, said Oscar Castaneda, a senior marketing major. Especially, he said, “making sure different teams are communicating and that timelines are being followed." 

“I never thought about things like how many people can fit in a space, fire codes, ADA accessibility, or how to format a runway,” said Alexandria McKenzie, a junior fashion product development major. “That’s really going to build into my portfolio and my career. People just think about how many chairs can fit, but spatial planning is huge.” 

Senior Charlotte Boda said that the balance between the business and design side of the event requires constant negotiation between artistic vision and logistical reality. 

“We have to compromise—balancing the designers’ vision with what’s actually possible for a successful show,” Boda said. 

Boda, who works on the social media team leading up to the show, said that a lot of her work goes into getting people interested in the show without giving too much away, in order to respect the designers’ work. 

“A lot of work goes into it that people don’t see,” McKenzie said. “But it’s all worth it in the end.” 

Vivian Richey is a senior journalism major and a longtime staff member of the Columbia Chronicle news site.