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This year, with almost two dozen designers' work on display, a big television screen had to be put up outside the courtyard so those who didn't get to the show early enough to claim a seat could still watch.

Sure, part of the appeal -- especially among the male members of the audience -- is watching the young models on the makeshift catwalk in skimpy lingerie or sheer black leotards -- two of the more popular types of fashion designed for the show. Often these models -- mostly classmates or friends of the designers -- would steal the show by flaunting themselves rather than the designers' work.

But it's also a chance for the student body to sample something other than what the school clearly is best known for -- technology, engineering and science.

Students point to a number of factors for the growing interest in the show, with word-of-mouth and increased publicity being two of the biggest.

But the show sells itself. It's a new and rare kind of entertainment at N.C. State. Where else can you spend a few hours outside with friends watching art and fashion being paraded by mostly young, thin, beautiful models?

"I think more people are willing to come to a fashion show than say a gallery opening," said student designer Katherine Guerra. "It's great because it exposes them to the designs and the fashion world."

It has become so popular that the show's organizers with the colleges of textiles and design are considering moving it to a bigger space and having designers go through a jury before being selected to be in the show, said Ashley Newsome, a senior who co-directed this year's show.

Lilly said limiting designers will give priority to those who truly want to make fashion their career. "This is the outlet for people who are interested in fashion to have that chance to show off their creative side," she said. "Some people are serious about it. Some people are doing it for fun, to show what they've learned from classes."

Think of art

Who's to decide what's serious and what's fun? It's a fine line and clearly a matter of opinion. Deirdra Nance created a collection of fur bikinis. Guerra's collection had elegant evening and cocktail dresses.

All of it is welcome, said Jonathan Gatlin, a senior majoring in business management and textiles and apparel design, who helped direct this year's show and will co-direct the show next year. The point of the show, he explained, is spelled out in its name: "Art to Wear."

"It's not just a fashion show," he said. "You can design anything you want. It doesn't have to be apparel based. It just has to be art to wear."

Even Gatlin skated on that fine line. His evening gowns in this year's show were admittedly "over-the-top," embellished with exaggerated trains, oversized bows and feather collars.

Not everyone took it to that extreme.

Newsome's collection was created by mixing her love of shopping for vintage pieces at thrift stores and flea markets and her passion for cutting-edge looks. "A lot of my work is eclectic," she said.

Guerra's classically styled dresses were so wearable she said that some of her models ended up wearing them to sorority functions the next weekend. And her sister wore one dress to the prom.

Of course, having anyone wear her clothes is a huge departure for Guerra. She's been sewing since she can remember. But up until just a few years ago, no one -- not even Guerra -- wore her designs.

"I never wore anything I made," she said. "I'd never shown anything."

But during her sophomore year, she made a deal with a professor, and she ended up having to wear something she designed. That led to her getting involved in the fashion show.

Now she's headed to the Parsons School of Design in New York City this fall to chase her dream of becoming a designer of bridal or formal wear.

Norwood, meanwhile, only recently learned to sew and cut cloth.

He entered the show three years ago, making clothes from molded plastic. Last year, he came across a big bag of knitted nylon microfiber -- a pantyhose type of material that was stretchy and strong and could be made into leotards. This year, he went for simple cotton and woven fabric skirts and dresses.

"I just thought about it in terms of what would be fun things to make, a way to challenge myself," Norwood said.

He described his collection, designed for his girlfriend, as simple -- cutesy, even.

Norwood might call it simple in design. But he dyed every piece of fabric himself in his bathtub. And after teaching himself to sew, he sewed everything on a hand-me-down sewing machine from his mom while watching football.

In the cutthroat world of high fashion, the chances of most of these novice designers hitting it big a la Donna Karan, Tommy Hilfiger or Betsey Johnson are slim. But for one night, at least, they get a taste of what it's all about.

"It's definitely something everyone looks forward to," Norwood said. "It's an opportunity to get out of your studio. Everybody's working at night to get their final projects done. It's just a fun evening."

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