Student designer Nicolas Martin looked around the room and let out a sigh of relief. He could now rest easy until the final runway show.

Martin is the only male in a group of 19 senior apparel merchandising, design and textiles students who are preparing for the Mom’s Weekend Fashion Show Friday night.

Driven by his enthusiasm for sports and the outdoors, Martin created a line of athletic wear. His models walked comfortably around the Beasley Performing Arts Coliseum in black track pants and jackets with red and blue accent stripes.

“My inspiration came from the fabric itself,” he said. “It’s a wicking fabric, which means it pulls sweat away from your body. In athletics, the three main functions you want are functionality, breathability and durability, and that’s what I really went for.” Martin said he has a passion for sports, and that is what attracted him to design. He came to school originally to become a shoe designer, then realized how complex design really is.

“I stayed with the major for a few years, and I ended up loving my professors, loving my classmates and loving sewing, designing and drawing, so I stayed with it,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to going into the job market.” Martin echoed other designers’ relief that his work is nearly done and his days as a student at WSU are coming to an end.

“Wow, it’s finally here,” he said. “All our four years of school have come down to this. We’re all really excited to just sit back, kick our legs up, see our hard work and effort go down the runway and have everybody applaud us.” Martin wasn’t always this calm, though. The entire design process was a bumpy road with countless changes along the way, he said.

“I can’t even exemplify how many times I had to go back and resketch and rethink ideas,” he said. “So many things go into (designs), and just to see it actually come together on the model down the runway will be exciting.” After graduation, Martin said he would like to work for an outdoor or sports clothing company. He said growing up in the Northwest makes him a perfect fit.

He already applied for some internships at Nike, but has yet to hear back. Either way, Martin said he has a positive outlook on his future.

“The opportunities are endless for me, so I’ll see what happens,” he said.

Martin won an award for his designs, which will be announced at the show Saturday.