When Onward State launched its fashion feature, the Natty Nittany, back in 2008, I didn’t know what to expect. The climate in State College isn’t exactly what I’d call favorable for high fashion. Since then, I’ve realized that students who think Happy Valley’s couture scene is underdeveloped just don’t know where to look.

Whether it’s the editorial team behind @ValleyMag, or burgeoning fashionistas like @elysiamann and @rachelcichowicz, there’s no shortage of style on campus — these are the people standing between us and a sea of Uggs and leggings, jeans and Penn State sweatshirts. Theirs is a cause I can believe in.

That’s why I was intrigued when Marie Claire approached Onward State asking us to help promote the Front Row College Challenge.

Marie Claire has teamed up with LOFT to help give one lucky college student a chance to get a jumpstart on a career in fashion, and to begin the upcoming school year on an awesome note.

From now through July 8, the two brands are accepting applications to find the country’s most omnicompetent fashionista — they want someone who exhibits personal style expression, social networking influence, and creative marketing in equal parts. It’s best to think of the application as (wait for it) a front row challenge.

Some of fashion’s trendiest players, from a style director at LOFT to editors at Marie Claire, will be looking at the applications and choosing one who stands out from the rest — imagine it as an opportunity to strut your stuff, through language and style, in front of people truly dressed to impress.

What you could win is pretty awesome… and I say that as a technogeek, not as an aspiring Anne Wintour.

The winner of the Front Row Challenge will receive two main immediate prizes, and a multitude more in intangible benefits.

First, the part of the package I’m looking forward to most — the fashion show. If a student from Penn State wins, we’ll get hooked up with the swankiest runway event to hit State College since this spring’s sweet Valley Magazine show at @CampusCandy. That includes funding from Marie Claire and LOFT, access to a full wardrobe of this upcoming season’s hottest tickets, and consultations from some of fashion’s most in-the-know people.

The four students with the best applications in the initial round will be flown to New York City later this summer to meet with Marie Claire editors and LOFT staff to sketch out what they’d want to execute with their fashion show. The person with the best vision will be allowed to carry it out, but more than that, they’ll also be awarded an exclusive internship in summer 2012 with the two companies — talk about a chance to give your career in the world of the chic and the mod.

Check out the contest rules for details, and remember to get your application submitted before July 9. Other than that, it’s going to be up to you and your sense of smarts, style, and social networks. Good luck!