If someone told you that you had to juggle chemical engineering and biochemistry classes, apply for graduate schools, take standardized tests, research 20-30 hours per week and plan a large-scale fashion show with Marie Claire, LOFT and Rimmel London all in one semester, how many of you would take off in the opposite direction?

Amazingly Diya Liu, UT student and fashion blogger behind In Her Stilettos, has managed all of the above since the beginning this school year. And at long last, she can check one of those items off of her to-do list.

The fashion show Liu has organized as part of the Marie Claire Front Row Challenge competition will take place this Thursday, Nov. 17, at The Mohawk.

With doors opening at 6:45 p.m., the event will kick off the evening with a keynote speech from the Marie Claire Senior Fashion Editor, followed by a fashion show featuring looks from LOFT’s holiday collection styled by Liu and Marie Claire editors.

Ever since she was selected as one of four finalists in the Front Row Challenge, Liu has been swept up in a whirlwind of planning that would leave any fashion-enthusiast drooling.

During the first few days of class, she was flown to New York City for a hectic two-day period to talk promotion tactics with editors of Marie Claire, put together looks for the show at the LOFT headquarters, and coordinate makeup for each outfit at Rimmel London facilities.

“It was basically an internship experience condensed into two days,” Liu says. “It was really stressful but really exciting at the same time to be exposed to so many industry insiders and be treated like just another professional, someone else in the industry. That was the most exciting part for me, just to get that experience because I feel like it’s kind of one in a lifetime”

Though the basics of the production were covered during the trip, the rest of the details had to be ironed out afterward via email and planned in Austin. There were models to cast, hair stylists and makeup artists to enlist, songs to select and a venue to book. Through it all, she tried to stay true to supporting local professionals.

“I tried my hardest when I was putting together the show to promote local talents,” she explains, “to insist on using as many people who reside here in Austin as opposed to having Marie Claire bring in talents.”

The production company used though, Caravents, hails from Los Angeles and has worked for many of the New York Fashion Week events. Operating on a vast scale, the company actually built the set for Thursday’s show in New York, dismantled it and transported it to Austin.

“It’s one of those productions that’s relatively unmatched by most of the fashion events here in Austin,” says Liu.

Even as the day draws close, her plate is still full. In this week alone, her schedule has included model fittings with the LOFT team and rebuilding the set at the venue. Considering the vast amount of effort put into organizing the event, unsurprisingly one of the things she is most excited about is seeing the fruits of her hard work finally hit to runway.

The culmination of Liu’s show will represent the final event in the Front Row Challenge. The other contestants from the University of Alabama, the University of Delaware and Pennsylvania State University have each undertaken and completed the same process in planning a fashion show. Following the conclusion of the competition, one winner will be selected and given the opportunity to intern with Marie Claire, LOFT and Rimmel London during the upcoming summer. An official announcement of the victor will be published in the February issue of the magazine.

For those of you interested in showing support for a fellow Longhorn and getting your fashion fill this week, this event definitely seems like one for the books. Besides free admission, a few other perks include 275 swag bags to be given out to attendees and a giveaway prize of dinner for two at Justine’s.

If you plan to attend, send in your email RSVP to frontrowchallengeut@hearst.com by 12 p.m. Thursday.