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CORVALLIS, Ore. - Eight Oregon State University faculty, students and alumni will bring their cutting-edge designs to Portland Fashion Week on Thursday, Oct. 26.

OSU Fashion Night will be held at US Bancorp Tower, 111 SW 5th Ave. A pre-show reception begins at 7 p.m., with the show itself scheduled for 8 p.m. Portland Fashion Week is Oct. 20-27.

According to Leslie Burns, chair of OSU's Department of Design and Human Environment, OSU was asked by organizers of Portland Fashion Week to participate because of the visionary designs for which students and faculty in the program are increasingly known. Each year, the department puts on the Recycle Fashion Show, as well as the Spring Design Exhibition and Runway Show.

OSU instructor Marianne Egan is coordinating OSU Fashion Night, as well as presenting her own daring lingerie and evening wear at the event. She said the event is designed to put Portland fashion on the map, but for OSU, it is an opportunity to showcase the university's design program. More than 50 designs from OSU will be shown.

"We want to merge our department with what's happening in Portland's fashion scene," Egan said. "This also gives our students an event to look forward to and create crazy, off-the-wall designs."

Portland Mayor Tom Potter officially endorsed Portland Fashion Week, and many legislators and other high-profile Oregonians are expected to attend.

OSU's showcase on Oct. 26 will include a full light and sound show, as well as professional models showcasing the designs of students and alumni. Spectators will see everything from bridal wear to screen-printed T-shirts.

Egan's risqué designs include tailored lingerie. "I love the Victorian look, so I use a lot of corsets," she said.

In addition to Egan, seven current students and alumni of the design program will present their work. They include:

• Morgan Maier, a Portland resident and alumnus who designs under the name Morgan Tove, will showcase her detailed screen-printing clothing. Egan said Morgan's work has a distinct street style with incredible flair. "She has that balance of making innovative stuff that people also feel comfortable wearing," Egan said.
• Lenore Cangeloso, a 2005 graduate of OSU who currently lives in Morganville, N.J., is planning to fly in for the show. Her designs are influenced by her travels around the world. She uses free-trade fabrics and incorporates various cultural influences into her work.
• Laura Nash, a Philomath resident and OSU alum who has designed under the label Gowns by Laura since 2003, creates bridal and evening wear and has received design awards for fashion design excellence from Fashion Group International, Oregon Consumer Science Business Professionals, and the editors of Threads Magazine. Her web site is: www.gownsbylaura.com
• Alaina Shea, a recent OSU graduate who currently lives in Portland. Her designs are classic styles meant to flatter the female figure.
• Tonja Schreiber, a senior, grew up in Alsea, Ore. She plans to become a wedding gown designer in Portland when she graduates from OSU in the spring of 2007.
• Diem Le is a Portland resident and OSU alum who designs under her label LeStenzel, which features trendy clothing. She said her designs are contemporary apparel for modern women who are trend setters. She incorporates abstract lines to add texture and color to her creations.
• Melissa Ward, a native of Bend, is a junior at OSU studying apparel design. She also is working on a minor in costume design and has designed many of the costumes for OSU plays. She plans to work in Tokyo when she graduates.

Tickets are still available for Portland Fashion Week events. For information, go www.portlandfashionweek.net.

High-resolution photos of Marianne Egan and Morgan Tove's designs are available. Most of the designers also are available for interviews.

For more information on the Department of Design and Human Environment at OSU, go to www.hhs.oregonstate.edu/dhe/index.html