An entry from the 2009 show.

For my money, UW-Stout’s Fashion Without Fabric is one of the must-see events of the year. One part fashion show, one part art show, and one part the-most-creative-Halloween-party-ever, the event showcases the creative talents of students via a wide array of wearable art parading down a bonafide runway. Nothing is off limits as simple fashions and outlandish costumes are constructed with anything from bubble wrap to plastic tarps. As each piece makes it’s stage debut, the lights flicker, the music pounds, and the announcers describe the details of its construction – and perhaps even some character background. The sheer ambition and heart with which each piece of artful “fashion” is constructed, along with the style and professional delivery of the whole show makes it a visual spectacle unlike anything else around here. At last year’s event, I had the exciting but nearly impossible task of serving as one of four judges. Favorites are aplenty, but the competition is so fierce it’s difficult to pick a winner. To see photos of last year’s event find the “art and fashion” category in our photo gallery and you’ll see what I mean.

Fashion Without Fabric. Saturday, April 17 in the Great Hall in the Memorial Student Center at UW-Stout. 8pm. $10, $6 students. 232-1431. Get your tickets early.