When Pooja Desai and Aramide Odusanya came to the University, they knew they wanted to be involved in fashion. But among the hundreds of Registered Student Organization booths they visited on Quad Day, not one was dedicated to the production of a high-fashion runway show.

So Desai and Odusanya, freshmen in LAS, decided that they would start their own: Runway, an RSO that aims to put on fashion shows each semester and donate the proceeds to charity.

To these young women, fashion is not frivolous. It is a legitimate art form that uses the human body as a canvas, Desai said.

“Fashion is an everyday art form,” Desai said. “You wake up and go to your closet, and ask, ‘How do I want to present myself?'”

Sam Dewese, freshman in FAA and a Runway member in the model casting committee, said that students channel various facets of their life when they choose their outfits, from the songs they play on their iPods to the way they feel at the moment.

“People aren’t always conscious of what goes into their clothing choices,” Dewese said. “(But) when you pick out what you wear, you’re projecting something.”

Desai and Odusanya said they are seeking to change the widespread mentality that fashion is materialistic and overly expensive.

“There’s a reason why a Chanel suit costs what it costs,” Desai said. “There’s an architecture, an art, a tradition behind it.”

Runway will offer fashion-lovers at the University the chance to put together a runway show from scratch. Members will participate in extensive hands-on, behind-the-scenes preparation of every element of a fashion show, from model casting to putting together clothing ensembles.

Runway’s 30 or so core members are organized into four committees: model casting, clothing collection, advertising and set design.

“There’s a lot of work to go around,” Desai said. “So much work is required to put on a show of this scale, and we are literally starting from scratch.”

Although it is entirely run by students, Runway aspires to put on a show comparable to one from Paris or New York’s fashion weeks, where designers showcase their latest collections, catering to the elite members of the fashion world.

“There’s no Chicago fashion week,” Dewese said. “It’s all in New York. Bringing (fashion) to the center of the country is a really good idea.”

The group hopes to hire professional makeup and hair artists but will also enlist the help of University students with the appropriate skills and training.

On the catwalk, the group hopes to showcase the creations of up-and-coming designers.

“The ultimate goal of Runway would be to get designers from Chicago and up-and-coming designers as far reaching as the (East) Coast,” Dewese said.

Runway’s first show will be a fundraiser for the group intended to bring in needed revenue for hiring professionals, advertising and other costs.

“There is no fashion program here, no support whatsoever,” Desai said. “We don’t have 10,000 dollars in our bank account, but we’re also not going to put on a show that’s not up to par.”

For the fundraiser show, Runway will use gently used clothing donated by University students.

From these items, the group will make ensembles that fit with the theme “one girl’s trash is another girl’s treasure,” Desai said.

“It’s about being environmentally fashionable,” Desai said. “We’re recycling something that someone else doesn’t want into something creative.”

The show is scheduled for October 18 in the Union. Clothing items worn by the models will be on sale after the show.

Runway will continue to hold fundraising shows, but will also put on larger-scale shows whose proceeds will go entirely to a charity of the RSO’s choice.

Through this first public presentation of its work, Runway hopes to establish a name for itself at the University so that it can attract professionals and designers for later shows.

“The bigger we get, the bigger the show will be,” Desai said.