Dressed in white surgical masks, blue latex gloves and a rhinestone stethoscope, a TCU student paraded down the runway at a benefit auction and walked away with an award.Maelen Richie, a junior interior design major, competed in the fashion show segment of the International Interior Design Association Auction 2007 on Friday at the Grand Pavilion at Dallas Trade Mart. It was the tenth year for the annual event.

Titled “Lights, Camera, Auction,” the event included a silent auction, sit-down dinner, variety show, fashion show and a live auction. The proceeds from the auctions benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation of the North Texas Chapter and will sponsor at least two children’s wishes.

Three children from the Make-A-Wish Foundation picked the themes for the fashion show, said Rachael Yoss, a junior interior design major who attended the event. The categories were doctor, dinosaur and Cinderella; Richie appeared in the doctor category.

Members of the Interior Design Association at TCU came up with the theme of “The Doctor Wears Prada” for their outfit, a play on the movie “The Devil Wears Prada,” said Erica Bailey, a junior interior design major and president of TCU’s Interior Design Association.

“It was our challenge to design and construct our own costume to fit the category we were given,” Richie said. “I came up with the concept for the design, constructed it myself and modeled it during the fashion show.”

Richie said she spent about 20 hours creating the dress.

The outfit was a skirt made out of white surgical masks, a belt of blue medical latex gloves, a bodice covered with white gauze and blue medical gloves. She also carried a blue Prada purse and slung a white medical lab coat over her shoulder on the runway.

“The idea was to create an outfit out of materials that doctors use instead of making an outfit a doctor would actually wear,” Richie.

Twelve models participated in the fashion show, four for each category. The awards given out for the show were best overall design for each category, best use of materials and best walk, for which Richie won the award.

“I was flattered,” Richie said. “I had a really good time, and other people noticed I had fun walking down the runway. It was a nice gesture.”

This is the first time TCU’s IDA students participated in the event. Richie said she would like to do it again next year.

“As president, I was incredibly pleased with the students who attended the event and how professional we were,” Bailey said. “I am extremely proud of Maelen, and it was an honor to have her represent us.”

Next Monday, pictures from the event and the dress will be on display in the DEMT building.