Penn State's Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) will hold its second annual charity fashion show today at Café 210 West.

"Everybody loves fashion, and it's great for people to come to the show and see their friends modeling," model Kristen Viola (freshman-premedicine) said.

The student-run public relations group has about 200 chapters nationwide, offering its members opportunities to fundraise, plan events and generate publicity for local businesses and on-campus groups.

Thirty-five models will showcase the newest arrivals from Mr. Charles, 228 E. College Ave.; Gia & Co., 114 S. Allen St.; Connections, 130 S. Allen St.; and 5twenty7, 214 E. College Ave. Intermission will be followed by a live performance from Raw Aesthetic Movements (RAM Squad), the on-campus urban dance group.

With admission set at $4, PRSSA will donate half of the proceeds to the Centre County United Way. "We wanted to give back to the community, and [United Way] gives money to different agencies," said Lisa Durn (senior-public relations), co-chair for PRSSA's event planning committee and former United Way intern.

Durn said the show is divided into retailer and self-expression showcase segments.

"The newest shipments are spring and summer, so in order to get the looks noticed, we have a lot of jeans, tank tops and track shirts -- looks that can double as both night [and] day looks," PRSSA member Nancy Ditunnariello (senior-public relations) said.

For the retailer portion, store managers either had clothes already selected, or they allowed the models free rein of the store to select whichever pieces the models liked, said Ditunnariello, the retailer contact and emcee for the event.

"All of the outfits look good on everyone, and I really [think] people our age would like the clothes," model Michelle Buck (senior-nursing) said. "We took everything into consideration when we were picking out the outfits."

Holly Vandegrift (freshman-business) said she chose a casual summer outfit from Connections, but she said her favorite outfit is a red dress she had designed in her hometown for a dance function. "I love the color, and I can't wait to model it," Vandegrift said.

Viola and Buck agreed that as far as nervousness goes, they hope they do not trip in their heels.

Durn said that last year, the event was poorly advertised and put on right before spring break. She said she hopes this year will be different, especially after having recruited models and retailer contacts in January.

The models did not have to audition for the show or practice their catwalks. "We felt that we should break away from the cookie-cutter images and just have fun with it," Durn said.

The models are excited about this year's event as well. "I volunteered because I've always wanted to do something like this, and it's great to be involved," model Emily Mathason (freshman-theatre) said.

Ditunnariello said finding an appropriate venue posed several challenges because of scheduling the band. "There wasn't an opening for any [on-campus venues], but [with Café 210] there's a different crowd we'd draw," she said.

All ages are welcome to attend, although Café 210 will permit drinking only at the bar, Durn said.