The Wild Collective is one clothing brand that will participate in the second annual Buckeye Fall Fashion Market Thursday. Credit: Courtesy of Drex Agency
Ohio Stadium is typically known for hosting Ohio State football games, but it will transform into a fashion runway Thursday.
Ohio State’s second annual Buckeye Fashion Market — a shopping event where students and Buckeye fans can shop for officially licensed Ohio State merch from over 20 featured brands, including Lusso, Established & Co., The Wild Collective, Wrangler and The Ohio State Team Shop — is coming back. The event will be held in the Huntington Club at the ‘Shoe from 4-8 p.m. Thursday.
Kathleen Jones, marketing program coordinator for Ohio State, said this year’s event stands apart from last year’s, as more experiential components will be added to the evening.
“We have The Blowout Bar coming, and they’re doing hair styling,” Jones said. “We also added a VIP portion, so people can go upstairs, and they have their own little section. There’s going to be cocktail tastings, an interactive jewelry station, as well as a fashion showcase where the guests will be able to see the women’s apparel being sold, [worn by] the models.”
Anna Vonderhaar, director of marketing at Ohio State, said this year’s flow was created to align with feedback given after 2023’s fashion market.
“Last year was definitely a learning year for us,” Vonderhaar said. “We did a survey following our inaugural event to get feedback from our guests. We’ve really taken that and acted on it to perfect the event, and we only hope that it continues to grow each year.”
Vonderhaar said the fashion market’s initial creation aimed to bridge the gender gap present in the women’s licensing industry.
“There’s a term in the industry called ‘pink it and shrink.’ It’s where they create men’s products and then, to make it a women’s version, they would make it pink and make it smaller, or you’d see rhinestones — things that they think women want,” Vonderhaar said. “It’s just not representative of our lifestyles anymore. We have wanted to make sure that the women’s category gets as much attention and thought that other categories do.”
The wide variety of available products, Vonderhaar said, is her favorite element of the event.
“Aside from the apparel, I’m most excited about showcasing the great jewelry accessories, home goods and kids products we’ll have available,” Vonderhaar said.
As one of five all-women team members organizing this event, Jones said she’s most looking forward to the new VIP experience they have tirelessly worked to curate.
“We’ve put a lot of effort into that, and tried to make it creative and a really good experience for everyone who bought those tickets,” Jones said. “This is an opportunity for a population of people who don’t usually get to go into spaces like the Net Jet lounge to be able to see it. They can go outside and sit in the stands, sit in the section that’s outside of the Net Jet landing, and they get to see the stadium when it’s empty, which is something not many have experienced before.”
Ultimately, Vonderhaar said she hopes the event comes to fruition in a way that will empower women.
“It’s a special evening to celebrate those brands and to celebrate the Buckeye women’s community,” Vonderhaar said.
Though VIP tickets are now sold out, $25 general admission tickets are still available to purchase on Ohio State’s website. Current Ohio State students can get in free with their BuckID.
