Fashion Show Spotlights Diversity

Paris. Milan. Davenport? Sunday, Nov. 12, the Rogalski Center Ballroom was converted into a house of fashion with the help of the Minority Affairs Community Action group and a few other special people.

These weren't painfully skinny models with bad attitudes walking down the runway. These were models of varied race, sex and age who came together to celebrate the diversity of St. Ambrose.

It wasn't looks alone that got these models the job. Minority Affairs President Tiana Washington, who personally selected each participant, said it was a quality far less superficial that she was looking for.

"Character and personality stood out more to me than the way they looked," she said.

To better accommodate the show, the Rogalski Center Ballroom was divided in half. One side was equipped with a runway stretched out between rows of chairs, a rainbow of lights, and a D.J playing current hip-hop hits. The equipment was provided by SAU with the help of special events coordinator, Rhonda Brockhouse.

The other side served its purpose as a make-shift dressing room housing racks of brand new clothing and boxes of shoes which were stacked around the racks like presents under a Christmas tree.

Female and male students were anxiously awaiting the start of the show while they checked each other for stray tags, practiced their runway walk, and put the finishing touches on their outfits.

"Should this be tucked in?" asked model and SAU student, Tony DeVolder.

"Why are you wearing those shoes with that?" Washington, asked him while making her rounds to check up on the models.

DeVolder who admits that his usual outfits don't stray far from his hooded sweatshirt, made the most of this opportunity for change, but admitted one of his outfits was a little too different.

"This is something I'd never wear, it's not my style, if I have a style," he said.

Washington went to the mall with each model and helped them pick out their perfect runway looks. She advised them to try on outfits that they wouldn't normally wear.

"You just might like it," she said.

As Manny Rivera put on his brown and white skateboarding shoes before the show, he chuckled,"I'd never wear these."

However, Rivera and the other models know that the clothes they wore weren't as important as the reason for the show itself. Rivera hopes that this fashion show proves that in order to get along or be considered attractive there is no need to be the stereotypical blonde, skinny girl or the muscular jock.

"There's beauty in everything," he said.

The 16 models strutted down the runway for a little over an hour, but planning for the show started months in advance.

Minority Affairs secretary Aimee Holliday created the flyers for the show while the rest of the group did their part by posting up signs and telling people all over campus about the show.

Washington, who handled the public relations aspect of the show, began preparations by going to the mall and recruiting stores to participate. As expected, some turned her down, but a handful of stores understood and liked the concept of the fashion show.

After the signing of some waivers and acquiring corporate consent, Zumiez, Cache, The Buckle and Journey's agreed to let the models go through their store and pick out the hottest outfits to wear during the show with one stipulation.

All the outfits had to be returned to the stores in top condition, otherwise the clothes would have to be purchased.

"If anything happens, I have to buy them," Washington shouted to the models.

Cropped tops, long boots and short skirts were the hottest items among the women. The men turned up the heat with warm, puffy, winter coats and cozy sweaters.

All the action was narrated by Washington who, without the aid of a script, talked a bit about each outfit and the person wearing it.

During intermission, Justice J and Crew, a local rap group, pumped up the crowd with their original music and backup dancers.

To on-lookers the show was seamless; however, things were a little more hectic back stage.

"People were walking really fast as soon as I got off stage, they said I had to go back on," DeVolder said.

Madeline Doll, an SAU junior learned that her shoes were too big seconds before going on to the runway.

It was even more troubling for everyone involved when a few stores, which lent out clothing for the models to wear, backed down hours before the show.

Washington said that some liability issues and corporate permission problems were the cause of the cancellations.

One of the shows biggest providers, The Buckle, even joined the cancellation list. However, later, with much appreciation, they decided to participate anyways. Throughout the whole ordeal Minority Affairs vice-president Sasha Trice kept a positive attitude by stating it wasn't anything Minority Affairs couldn't bounce back from.

Trice, who was instrumental in bringing this unique event to the school for the last two years, was inspired by a fashion show she saw on campus many years ago which was put on by the Black Student Union, now known as Minority Affairs.

"That was years ago, so last year I was talking to a couple of people about getting Minority Affairs back in effect, so I just decided that a fashion show would be a great event to have," Trice said. "It wasn't the first one, I can't take credit for that, but it was the first one in a long time."

While a lot of the people involved in the production of this fashion show are set to graduate in December, there is confidence that the tradition will continue.

"I hope the next group of students follow up on this and realize it's an opportunity to get fellow students together minus beer and homework," Washington said.

Trends come and go, but diversity at St. Ambrose will always be in style.