Professionals and amateur Penn State students strutted down a makeshift runway lined with flower petals in their best spring fashions -- for a good cause.

The Penn State Marketing Association (PSMA), the largest student-run professional organization in the Smeal College of Business, put on its fashion show, Release the Fashion Police, Tuesday at Indigo, 112 W. College Ave. The event ran in conjunction with Modeling International, a professional modeling magazine run partly by students Bryan Smith (junior-labor and employment relations) and Joseph Maiello (junior-accounting).

Attendees of the fashion show brought clothing donations for St. Vincent DePaul, an organization which, according to Erin Fleming (freshman-division of undergraduate studies), functions as a homeless shelter and offers various services.

Christine Branigan one of the student models for the event said she enjoyed her time on the catwalk.

"I just smiled, said go, and tried to look pretty," Branigan (junior-journalism) said.

Chris Ruggiero, Class of 2008, another model, said the atmosphere was laid-back.

"It was the first time I've ever done anything like this. With the fun atmosphere, I wasn't nervous," he said.

Modeling International, which will feature Release the Fashion Police in a two-page spread in its magazine, brought two models to participate in the event. These models trained the students through workshops and rehearsals.

"It was totally an America's Next Top Model moment. The models would tell them to walk slower and many more tips," Fleming said.

Although the models wore their own clothes on the runway, Megan Zaner, director of the retail division of PSMA, and Anna Dominijanni, the assistant director of the retail division of PSMA, said they aimed to stick to a light look.

"We looked over what everyone was wearing to keep a springy theme; we wanted to go for a spring and summer feel," Dominijanni (junior-marketing)said.

Garrett Bogden, director of entertainment event planning, was very happy with the turnout of the show.

"Looking out into the crowd, I saw about 80 people, which is great, especially when Penn State basketball is playing tonight," Bogden (junior-marketing) said. "We wanted to motivate people to rethink what's in their closets."

Smith, a member of PSMA and of Modeling International, said his magazine got involved by contacting PSMA through its Facebook event.

"When it comes to anything with Penn State, we're more than happy to help," he said. "We wanted to help with the community."