By Michael Freeman, Managing Editor
The glitz and glamour of a typical fashion show was all but unapparent at the first annual Black History Month Fashion Show, Fade 2 Fashion, Saturday night in the Bean Sprout.
Instead, the show had a comfortable and intimate feel as 20 models strutted down the runway. And that was exactly the feeling producer Mallorie Frank (’08) wanted for the show.
“Everything that everyone wore came out of their closet,” Frank said. “What you wear in some way shows who you are, and I wanted to celebrate that.”
The show drew more than 150 people; that was fewer than last year’s show, in which more than 250 came to see students strut their stuff, Frank said. Despite the lower numbers, Frank said the show was a success. Last year, the fashion show was in the Williams Performing Arts Center, but she wanted a more comfortable place for this year’s show.
“It was a closer setting, and a big space can seem intimidating to some people,” Frank said. “You can have a lot more fun because you’re not afraid to talk, laugh and wave at your friends who are walking down the runway.” Last year’s show focused on past fashions, while this year’s presented today’s styles and celebrated not only current black fashion, but all fashion.
“Fashion doesn’t have a color; it doesn’t have a stamp on it,” Frank said. “This is something for everyone.”
Urban Chic was the show’s theme and included four different scenes, telling the story of two groups of men and women who meet and become friends. Anna Peters, senior ministry to children and families and elementary education major from Houston, also sang Bust Your Windows by Jasmine Sullivan between the scenes.
However, preparation for the show was hectic, Frank said.
“We had people back out the day of, and we were scrambling,” Frank said. “One of my models, Jonathan Gardner, called his friend, Tyler Lewis, literally 20 minutes before the show, and he came running with his stuff. Next thing you know, the lights are going up, and he’s putting his clothes on. That was one of the highlights of the night. Things like that really make me appreciate people and their style and who they are, especially the people here at ACU.”
Gardner, junior business major from Plano, said he enjoyed the show and would be willing to model in a future show.
“It was definitely a fun experience,” Gardner said. “I grabbed pretty much everything out of my closet. I don’t see myself ever being a model some day, but I definitely enjoyed putting on the clothes and acting like you know what you’re doing, but not really.”
