• MSNBC/Reuters , Monday, July 21, 2008 10:30 AM

Wal-Mart's presence at the Fashion on the Square runway show in San Francisco's posh downtown Union Square Saturday was a nod to the importance of youth trends when it comes to selling apparel. It stayed relatively under the radar at the fashion show, however, which included looks by designers including Chris March, who appeared on last season's TV reality show "Project Runway."

Wal-Mart presented a colorful, casual line of back-to-school looks for kids and teens. A Wal-Mart spokeswoman attending the show says the clothing on display shows "good value and good style for the kids for back to school." The retailer has been careful not to accentuate the fashion quotient in its clothing offerings ever since a disastrous push into more stylish gear in late 2005 alienated its core customers looking for basics.

Y'Anad Burrell, the founder and creative director of the fashion show, now in its fifth year, said she first approached Wal-Mart looking for corporate sponsorship, but then decided to include their clothes. She acknowledges that Wal-Mart's clothing may be affordable but doesn't necessarily push the envelope "They're not fashion trailblazers," she says.

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