Department of Fashion Design and Merchandising senior Ronni Worley wrapped up her work on the department’s annual fashion show, just days before graduation. Worley, who was the student director of Runway 2015: Evolve, is a merchandising student who was selected by faculty to join the Advanced Show Production class and ultimately serve as the show’s director. The Advanced Show Production class is broken down into four groups: modeling, backstage, PR/promotions and jury. As director, it was Worley’s job to oversee these groups by helping to delegate responsibilities, communicate with faculty, students and vendors and ultimately manage the show’s budget.
“When I graduated high school I was certain I wanted to go into a design field. I actually studied Architecture at Virginia Tech before coming to VCU, and while I loved designing, I realized I wanted to be apart of something that excited me more and felt faster-paced. I’ve always loved fashion and view clothing as a way to express myself on a day-to-day basis. The beauty of fashion merchandising is that it blends the creative, visual aspects of fashion with the technical aspects and fast-paced nature of the business.” – Ronni Worley
Following graduation, Worley plans on pursuing job opportunities in Richmond while her fiancé finishes his second year at VCU’s Brandcenter.
Image: Worley, pictured right, with the show’s Assistant Director Courtney Anderson. “I couldn’t have been a successful director without the help of Courtney. The[se] two positions truly depend on one another and I’m so thankful Courtney and I were able to build such a supportive working relationship!”