Monae Redd during the show Javell Sheppard
McGuire Hall flooded with friends, family, faculty, and staff members on Feb. 27 for the fourth annual Black Student Union (BSU) Fashion Show, which was themed “In Living Color”.
Johnnetta Washington, President of BSU, said this year’s theme was picked as an homage to the 1990’s television show “In Living Color” which “gave a platform to up-and-coming African American actors.”
The television show ran for five seasons from April of 1990 until May of 1994 and won an Emmy for “Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Series” in 1990.
Washington stated the fashion show has “become an important event to host because it allows Black students to come together in an environment that supports them and has become a great way to meet new people and form genuine connections.”
The show featured a total of 13 models, with two directors, two emcees, and three backstage crew members.
The models: Javeris Haney, Rashiya Warfield, Justin Alexander, Elizabeth George, Victoria Rodriguez, Vaughn Jackson, Crystal Rendon, Cody Hardy, Donovan Jackson, Taylor Washington, Drake Hayes, Monae Redd, and Peyton Gibson participated in nine categories.
The categories were presented by the emcees, Malik Coleman and Taylor McDonald, as the backstage crew members – Aryss Anderson, Aniya Travis, and Fruitful Ojelabi – adjusted the lights and music for each category.
Washington and Chaylan Palmer, BSU’s Vice President, directed the show and picked out the nine categories that the models participated in.
“We chose the categories because we wanted the models to be able to participate with the clothes they already had in their closets. It also was a great way for them to challenge themselves to create an outfit that would make them stand out,” clarified Washington.
The nine categories were: In All Black, Denim, School, The Guys, Streetwear, Girls Style, Throwback, A Night Out, and Family Reunion.
Models were able to use what they already owned for the show, as Washington and Palmer hoped for, as Hayes wore what he had worn to class prior to the show for the “School” category.
In between categories, Coleman and McDonald engaged with the audience by having volunteers come onstage to do a “fit check” for other attendees and by asking Black History Month trivia questions.
Audience members were at first shy about participating in the “fit checks”, but as time went on and younger audience members braved the stage, attendees were ecstatic about getting up to share their outfit.
The trivia questions included: “Who was the first African-American and Native American woman to hold a pilot license?”, “Which singer is remembered as the ‘Queen of Jazz’?”, and “Madam C.J. Walker became the first African-American female multi millionaire by selling what?”.
The answers were Bessie Coleman, Ella Fitzgerald, and cosmetic products respectively.
Members of the audience were fully engaged by the show, expressing excitement for each category and shouting out answers for each trivia question.
“My favorite part of the show was when everyone came together in the beginning to pray. I could sense the nervousness among the models and the last-minute details that needed attention, so having us all gather to pray was truly heartwarming. It showcased incredible teamwork and solidarity, making us feel like a close-knit family,” expressed ChrisTina Edwards, M. Ed., BSU’s RSO Advisor.
“Moreover, seeing all the families come to support the students filled me with joy. Their excitement and pride were palpable, and I felt immensely proud too!” she continued.
Washington noted that there were some difficulties getting the show to the stage, such as scheduling issues and finding students who were willing to model, but expressed that they “were lucky enough to find some amazing people who put on a great show.”
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