Students do a little turn on the catwalk Woodbridge H.S. students put on fashion expo fundraiser BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer Ahandful of seniors at Woodbridge High School traded in their high school gear of T-shirts, jeans, and UGG boots for some Oscar de la Renta and Calvin Klein suits with shiny black shoes and cap-toe oxford shoes andMori Lee and Tiffany dresses with sky-high heels over the weekend. SCOTT FRIEDMAN Woodbridge High School senior Mike Magda works the crowd at the first annual Fashion Expo held at the Woodbridge High School auditorium Jan. 27. The funds raised at the expo went toward Project Graduation. For story, see page 3. The Woodbridge High School Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) held a Fashion Expo on Jan. 27 in the high school auditorium as part of efforts to raise money for Project Graduation. The PTO hopes to make the expo an annual event. "We were aiming for a one-stop shopping place for parents, whether it's for the prom, a cotillion or a sweet 16 party," said Janet Kilduff, PTO vice president. Kilduff, whose son Trevor participated as a model, thought of the idea a month ago. "It started out as a fashion show and then it expanded to an expo," she said. "We have all types of vendors, from videographers and bands to selections of various limousine services, and various food services from the Famous Dave's restaurant to the Woodbridge Deli." SCOTT FRIEDMAN The Woodbridge High School seniors return to the stage for the finale at the first annual Fashion Expo held at the Woodbridge High School auditorium Jan. 27. The funds raised at the expo went toward Project Graduation. Joseph Zullo, of Joe Zullo Photographers in Port Reading, volunteered his services as a videographer to capture the seniors modeling the various dresses and suits. Tommy Smith, a freshman at Woodbridge High School, played the national anthem on his electric guitar. The Matt Koziol Band, of Linden, performed as the half-time show of the fashion expo, and Night Moves Disc Jockeys provided music such as "GimmeMore" by Britney Spears, "Superman" by Soulja Boy Tellum, "Rockstar" by Nickelback and "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" by Daft Punk for the show. A handful of seniors gave their time on Sunday to model various brightly colored and glittery dresses from Caché located in Menlo Park Mall in Edison, Ultimate Fashions located in Woodbridge Center mall, Pacheko Designs in Fords, and suits, some with dovetails, from Ducoff 's Formals in Avenel. "Everything was donated from these businesses that are all in the surrounding area," said Liz Early, whose son Christopher participated as a model for the show and daughter Caitlin helped out backstage. Approximately 48 students, including the seniors, volunteered to help out at the fashion expo. Albert Patrick, 18, modeled a white-onwhite Ralph Lauren suit from Ducoff 's Formals. "It is awesome to model in front of my friends and family," he said. "I wouldn't have thought that I would be wearing this suit … it's amazing and unreal." Wayne Girard, 17, who modeled a three-quarter Oscar de la Renta suit with a red tie and red handkerchief, added that the modeling was for a good cause, since it was a fundraiser. Samantha Ratajczak, 17, who modeled a bright pink Jovani dress from Pacheko Designs, said modeling for the show was "a little nerve-wracking" and Nicole Caggiano, 17, who modeled a purple handmade Pacheko dress, added that modeling was "wild and crazy." Albert Pacheko, owner of Pacheko Designs, provided the hair and makeup for the six girls modeling his dresses. Other vendors that participated in the Fashion Expo included Dante Tuxedos, the Lord & Taylor department store,Marconi Studios, Hollywood Tans, the Gran Centurions, LaBonbonniere's Cookie Jar bakery, Wegmans supermarket, and the Cheesecake Factory. TheWoodbridge High School PTO said they would like to expand the Fashion Expo to the other high schools [Colonia High School and John F. Kennedy Memorial High School in Iselin] next year.