The Michigan -Daily - michigandaily.cam Friday, January 11, 2013 - 7 Fashion show to raise funds for arts EnspiRED to host seventh annual charity event By CARLINA DUAN Daily Community Culture Editor On Saturday, the student orga- nization EnspiRED will host its seventh annual charity fashion show in the Biomedical Sci- EnspiRED ence Research Building at 7 Pnts p.m. This year's The Year show revolves around the theme "The Fashion Year of Cou- ture," and will feature approx- Saturday imately 5o stu- at7p.m. dent models, Biomedical live entertain- Research Building ment and origi- B nal clothing From$10 designs from fashion bou- tiques across the U.S. EnspiRED, created in 2006, promotes arts awareness and passion for the arts across cam- pus by showcasing various arts- based events throughout the year. "EnspiRED started essen- tially to highlight the arts and different artists on campus," said LSA junior Tyrell Collier, the show's production manager. "We promote the collabora- tion of arts through the various events that we host, but our big- gest event of the year is always the fashion show." "The Year of Couture" will be a charity fundraiser for Art Roads, a nonprofit group that aims to restore arts classes in southeastern Michigan elemen- tary schools where budget cuts have diminished arts programs. LSA senior Chatoris Jones, president of EnspiRED, explained the logic behind choosing Art Roads as this year's fashion show charity organiza- tion. "When I was in elementary school, we had art classes. Now- adays, art's gone," Jones said. "Art Roads keeps art within schools. That's what we want to do at Michigan. Yeah, we're a research institution. Some stu- dents here are going pre-med, are more into engineering and are getting into B-School ... but what about those individuals that are here to keep art alive?" By choosing Art Roads, Jones hopes to sustain the importance of art both on campus and with- in schools across Michigan. "Although art is something that's fun, it also helps you feel good. You can express yourself," Jones said. Other than the fashion show, EnspiRED also creates several gallery-like events throughout the year, titled "Arts Experienc- es," which showcase local and student artists and musicians. Collier noted a similar theme of accentuating the arts in the fashion show. "Although ('The Year of Cou- ture') is a fashion show, we do showcase and highlight vari- ous forms of art throughout the show," he said. The fashion show will fea- ture clothing designs and fuse together differing art forms like dance, visual art and live music. This year's show promises a hip-hop performance by rap- per Mahd, and host James "Mr. GQue" Stratford. "The Year of Couture" pres- ents a different spin on the tra- ditional couture, high-class art sphere. "Our fashion show is not sup- posed to be like New York Fash- ion Week - it's supposed to be arts through fashion. It's all about individuality. When you wake up, whatever you dress up as, that's what inspires you," Jones said. Rather than focus on the tra- ditional meaning of "couture" as high-fashion, EnspiRED chose to craft a new definition of "couture," one that proves more accessible to the arts. "What we're taking is whole, high-fashion European kind of couture, and making it an every- day kind of couture," Jones said. "We are not a fashion organiza- tion. We are an arts-based orga- nization." Collier added: "It's 'The Year of Couture,' so basically we want to bring legendary concept of couture but compare it to every- day-wear as well. We want to basically show that couture can be represented by more demo- graphics than it's usually repre- sented in." Instead of primarily featur- ing clothing from local fashion boutiques like last year's fash- ion show, "The Year of Cou- ture" showcases designers from across the country. "This year, we've gone out to up-and-coming fashion design- ers, and also to other boutiques," Jones said. Ann Arbor local fashion boutiques Wendy, Launch and Cool Club Clothing will also be highlighted. All four seasons of clothing - spring, summer, win- ter and fall - will be featured throughout the show, emphasiz- ing the year-round couture look. The student models, chosen by EnspiRED through a modeling call at the beginning of the year, will pose in various clothing designs. New to this year's fashion show will be three levels of tickets available for purchase: Premium VIP, VIP and General Admission. Premium VIP guests can attend a pre-show reception, where they will be treated to a catered meal, in addition to live musical entertainment by three singers, two of which are Uni- versity students. Both Premium VIP and VIP guests willbe given preferred seating, as well as a "Swag Box" of gift items. The pre-show reception begins at 6 p.m. and doors open at 7 p.m. for VIP and General Admission guests. Collier explained the deci- sions behind adding the Pre- mium VIP, VIP and General Admission. "Last year, we hit capacity. We didn't have enough seats. This year, we added the pre- show reception because that was another aspect of doing something different and another way to showcase more artists as well," he said. For both Jones and Collier, anticipation for the show is blend- ed with excitement. "I'm excited to see how it looks, to see if we sell out, and I'm hoping to give a good amount of money to the charity," Collier said. Jones added, "This will be the best thing that hits Michigan. That's something that we do in EnspiRED. We push the edges. We dare tobe different." "Is Leslie Mann taking'ff her clothes again?" No surprises from Apatow in'Thi's Is 40' By ANDREW MCCLURE DailyArts Writer The lifespan of a cup of cof- fee epitomizes Judd Apatow's "This Is 40." First, it's too hot: overambitious, hit-or-miss B- humor nested in Viagra jokes ThiSIS 40 and incredible spouse dynam- AtQualityl6 ics. Next, it's and Rave just right: Universal Strong perfor- mances emerge and the title validates. Last, after sitting paralyzed for two hours, it's a cool stool sample: Drawn-out sequences get lost in a scrawling script that begs for sympathy. The laughs are there but devoid of variety and form. Apatow is a predictable film- maker. Not unlike Dane Cook - the Ryan Reynolds of standup - Apatow makes self-respecting funnies angled for a millennial audience. Biggest concern? Lon- gevity. His stamina will contin- ue to be challenged. But guess what: "Predictable" can be a good thing. You know what you ordered when one of his films open. "This Is 40" is no excep- tion. With recycled actors and congruent plot frameworks, his semi-sequel scores through the uprights, but never quite reaches the end zone. Congratulate Pete and Debbie (played by Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann, "Knocked Up"). Unsur- prisingly, they are approaching the 40-year mark. In Debbie's mind, she's turning 38 again, "This Is 40." Primarily, the film not 40. This is further backed tackles precisely what its title during a scene at the gynecolo- suggests: oncoming menopausal gist when two nurses inquire behavior, overprotective guard- why her birth year climbs high- ians, receding hairlines and er each visit. Pete, however, Generation Y-technology clue- remains honest to his Tour de lessness. In this sense, the film's France biking club jerseys and grounded reality and honesty his covert cupcake fetish. They appear refreshing. In the past, loosely make a pact to exercise Apatow has excelled in depict- daily, revamp diets and rectify ing life's inevitable encounters relationships with their respec- that people pretend don't exist. tive fathers (Albert Brooks, You have everything from the "Broadcast News," and John graying virgin to a comic's mis- Lithgow, "The Campaign"). We ery. follow the pair as they fight, Mann kills while Rudd weak- rekindle, jest and fume. ly follows. To be fair, Debbie is structured stronger than Pete, but we fail to sympathize for Your p rents Pete the way Apatow hopes. His OUr parentst scrippled business marries with will rhis inability to refuse his broke father monthly checks. Ideally, like this movie you want to pat weaker charac- ters on the back and ensure them more than you. it's going to be OK. That never happens. "This Is 40" pigeonholes itself as an older person movie. Unless Professionally, Rudd oper- younger' viewers have parents ates a suffocating record label with overlapping traits and while Mann manages a clothier empathies, it's tough to reso- that's missing an unexplained nate. With an overlong runtime, $12,000. Supporting, Chris the film eventually feels like it's O'Dowd and Megan Fox add working on fumes, and many pizzazz and mountainous cleav- unnecessary scenes bog down age (respectively) as coworkers. the script's momentum. Even Jason Segel, an Apatow Thankfully, though, Apatow veteran, is thrown in the mix as specializes in one important cat- the prescient, womanizing per- egory: handcrafting a unique, sonal trainer. Fox's character relevant perspective on harm- brainlessly answers, "I'm just lessly contentious subject mat- young," as Debbie cops a feel of ter ... her supple juggies. In this case, it's enduring the Several elements work in, discovery of gray pubes. SEE A LOT OF CONCERTS? WANT TO WRITE ABOUT THEM? Apply to the Fine Arts beat! E-mail arts@michigandaily.com to request an application. IC Most Images Only $7, $8 and $9 L.