By Joan King, Special to the Catholic Herald

PEWAUKEE — “Keeping an Eye on Pure Style” Fashion Show could be subtitled – “Models on a Mission (with their mothers),” according to Rebecca Sande, one of the organizers of the Nov. 12 event at Country Springs Hotel and Convention Center.

An overflow audience of 300 mothers, grandmothers, aunts and friends gathered to watch 50 junior and senior high school students from Madison to Milwaukee, Fond du Lac to the Illinois border, demonstrate that dressing modestly is possible with today’s fashions.

The girls chose ensembles that fit their personalities, from classic to eclectic. Some of the clothes and accessories came from their regular wardrobes. Others were purchased by the girls and their mothers at malls or neighborhood stores.

The girls’ runway debut was a multi-step process, according to Mary Kay Kulla of Johnson Creek in the Madison Diocese, statewide chairman of Challenge Girls Clubs, an international organization for Catholic girls. The clubs are part of the Catholic Youth World Network sponsored by the Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi.

“We wanted to get the message out that teens can wear fashionable clothing and be trendy, and also be modest at the same time,” Kulla said.

The girls challenged not only themselves but stores throughout the area as they searched for the right clothes. It was tough to find something trendy and cute, they said.

“Our culture doesn’t pay attention to virtues,” said Sande, of Cambridge in the Madison Diocese. “As Catholics, we should be thinking of choices we can make to build up and fortify our culture, provide alternatives. Girls should know they have inherent dignity in their bodies and in themselves and show this in how they dress.”

“We teach the girls they are role models,” said Kulla. There are Challenge clubs in Ripon and Green Bay. The organizers hope the style show will be a catalyst to establish more Challenge clubs in southeastern Wisconsin. In addition to receiving spiritual formation, club members perform apostolic service. (Find out more about Challenge at ).

The show was the fun part and the smallest part of the project, according to Ashley Myers, one of the committee members who started planning for the event last March. In addition to Kulla, Sande and Myers, the committee included Julie Archibald and Patti Hundt of the Milwaukee area and Rose Formolo, a Marquette senior and team leader coordinator for Challenge.

It wasn’t hard to get moms on the bandwagon that could lead away from the revealing fashions flaunted by Britney Spears or Paris Hilton. Four mandatory preparation sessions gave the girls tips on fashion, but half of each two-hour session also included spiritual formation on the theme of the day.

In the first seminar, a Runway to Reality program by wardrobe consultant Molly Miller, the girls learned the use of color and directing focus to the face to encourage modesty in fashion. The next seminar demonstrated public speaking and etiquette tips by 14th District Representative Leah Vukmir while Kulla, Sande, Myers and Formolo spoke on communication with family and friends — what you say, how you say it or what you don’t say should be encouraging and charitable, not gossipy.

A Jazzercize and personal trainer, nutrition expert, and Madison Ironman finalist Amanda Mindel outlined qualities needed to accomplish a goal, whether worldly or spiritual. The final preparation dealt with a personality profile test to determine a style of clothing to fit each girl’s personality from a classic jacket and pants duo, a romantic lace and floral outfit or casual everyday wear. Finally, practice for their runway debut and a dance routine brought them to last week’s event.

Preceding the runway show, speaker Annie Casselman, director of Generations for Life, elaborated on “Made in His Image: the Dignity of Women.” Casselman emphasized restoring dignity to women and the importance of voicing an opinion.

“You have buying power. You can choose what to buy or not to buy,” Casselman said. She also emphasized having Mary as a role model and relying on daily prayer in order to be a role model who is living with God.

Amanda Falk, 17, a team leader for Challenge in Ripon, gave the opening prayer. She said, “(Modesty) is a very important quality in a person. You really have to stand up for modesty. As for being a role model, Falk says, “I really like it. I feel like I’m making a difference. I take the responsibility very seriously. Usually in the morning I would ask ‘Do I look all right?’ Now I say, ‘Does this meet the pure style fashion requirement?’”

Home-schooled 14 year-old Rebecca Kremel of Brookfield describes the experience as “really fun. I got to meet a bunch of new girls. It refreshed my memory on why we’re supposed to be modest — to lead by example, be modest but fashionable.”

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