Fashion show displays talent, promotes unity

Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.and the Black Student Union hosted The Soiree Fashion Show Friday night in Lamberton Hall.

“We don’t do many events like this, and we really want to start up some annual ones,” said Scott Grant, ’16, a member of Kappa Alpha Psi and one of the events emcees.”We liked the fashion show idea because, in our community, we love to get together and dress up, look good and just show ourselves off. It was the perfect event for right before our ‘All-White Affair’ party with (Sigma Phi Epsilon).”

The event included food, fashion and a photography station where attendees could have their pictures taken by a professional photographer. While the models wore all-black clothes from Loose Threads Boutique, a clothing store on West 4th Street, the guests were asked to wear only white. The models were a mixture of people from different organizations on campus. Members of Pi Beta Phi, Zeta Tau Alpha, the Black Student Union and students from Moravian College were all in attendance. Each of them had his or her hair done at Couture Salon Spa, a beauty parlor on East 3rd Street.

Guests started to arrive at Lamberton Hall around 7:45 p.m. and took several minutes to socialize with friends. They then took their seats in the chairs surrounding the runway, and around 8 p.m., Grant took the stage and asked if they were ready for the show to start. He and the other emcee, Esther Petit-Frere, ’17, introduced themselves and the models for the first portion of the show, which featured business casual attire. The models were then asked to describe themselves, as well as reveal the superpowers they would most want to have, guilty pleasures of theirs and their favorite Caroe TV shows.

The little biographies kept the crowd engaged and interested. Model Kendall Wilkins, ’16, described herself as “sarcastic, optimistic and outgoing,” while Josiah Murrell, ‘18 described himself as “tall, dark and handsome.” Murrell then struck a pose at the edge of the runway, prompting laughter from the crowd.

Two Moravian College students and sisters, Brianna and Alexis Wright, also decided to model for the show. Music by Kanye West, Pharrell, Beyoncé and many others played in the background throughout the evening, and the audience shouted words of encouragement for those on the runway.

The other categories of the fashion show included date night attire, club attire and gala attire. Between categories, Isabelle Dalzon, ‘16, pleasantly surprised the audience by singing “I Was Here” by Beyoncé.

A student performance began after the models left the stage. Christina Okoye, ‘15, sang “Tonight” by John Legend, and Dalzon returned to sing “Unthinkable (I’m Ready)” by Alicia Keys.

“The idea behind the fashion show is a collaborative between the BSU, Kappa Alpha Psi, Alpha Gamma Delta, Pi Beta Phi (and) our Moravian friends,” said Lyasha Bishop, ’16, the president of the Black Student Union. “Overall, it’s an event for the Lehigh Valley community to come together and bring people together while celebrating BSU’s 50th anniversary. We also want to tell people the BSU is a fun place where everyone is welcome.”

The event was truly a collaborative effort, as those who participated came from many different organizations. In addition to Kappa Alpha Psi and the Black Student Union, people such as Madison Gouveia, ‘17, a member of Pi Beta Phi, and Maggie Norsworthy ‘17, from Alpha Gamma Delta, arrived early to help prepare for the show. Students outside of Greek life also helped with and attended the event.

“My friends and I came to support their first year doing the show,” said Natalie Wasserman, ’17.

MyTresa Taylor, ‘15, the former Black Student Union president, attended the event to help out and see the different outfits. She said the event really did bring different groups of people together.

When Bishop addressed the audience near the end of the show, she thanked the various organizations for their part in making the night possible. She then invited everyone to the following registered event with Kappa Alpha Psi and Sigma Phi Epsilon.

Bishop also mentioned the Black Student Union’s 50th anniversary and how important it is to note. “We lived and we loved here,” she said, alluding to the lyrics of “I Was Here” from earlier in the show.