By Dustin Niles
Design Editor
FDU is gaining a new annual tradition. Every year, more and more people turn up to see the International Student Association’s Fashion Show. Now in its fourth year running, the fashion show filled the Fitness Center with friends, professors, and fans.
This year’s theme was “Fashion Through the Decades,” showcasing pieces from around the world. The show was divided up into sections corresponding to decades of the last century. Sprinkled in between each section were dance performances ranging from traditional to modern and step.
The event represents a joint effort from two of FDU’s student organizations, the International Student Association and the Fashion Corps. But the execution was so smooth that you would have thought it was put on by a time-tested cast and crew. Ask anyone backstage, and you’ll quickly find out just how much preparation went into the show.
“Mentally preparing was a huge thing. I had to rehearse it so many times in my head,” said William Marte, a model in the show.
All the preparation turned into a proud product for the ISA and Fashion Corps. Mahader Guade is the President of the ISA and stressed the teamwork that went into putting the show on.
“It looks simple, like ‘Oh, it’s a fashion show, it’s wearing clothes,’ but getting everyone on time, getting everything ready…you have to be on point.”
The fashion show means a lot to both the ISA and Fashion Corps.
“It’s just about bringing everybody together and making it a good show for students and people that participated,” said Guade.
Gabby Bamberski, President of the Fashion Corps, described it as a “whole-semester sort of thing.” They are also doing an event in December in which they write cards with the FDU community to donate to local domestic violence shelters.
It was clear that the event not only meant a lot to the leaders of the organizations but to the models as well. Lizzy Marin is a senior and a commuter, and this fashion show was the first event at FDU that she has participated in from start to finish. She built “a new family” through the show, from rehearsing and putting the show together. She felt a special connection to an orange Indian suit that she felt was “powerful.”
“Most of the dresses that I put on were bright colors and I’m not a ‘bright-colored’ person, so it was nice to step out my comfort zone and not wear something that was white, gray, or black,” Marin said.
Models worked with members of ISA and the Fashion Corps to put outfits together. Liza Rachenko, a sophomore from Ukraine, fought for some boots to be included in her favorite outfit, a western-style outfit from the 1960’s.
Betsy Regus was a freshman who modeled in the show. Meeting new people was her favorite part of the process, a common theme throughout talking to models. She brought her friend Kimberly Santana to assist in the show and get her first taste of college. She’s a senior in high school, and said that the show was “a lot of hours I didn’t expect.” Her favorite part was also all the people she met through the show.
Koushikgoub Aluvala, a graduate student from India, said that in his last semester he wanted to “make some memories with colleagues.” One of his memories will last until the next time he sees a dentist. In one of the rehearsals for a performance that “didn’t go well,” according to Aluvala, he ended up breaking part of one of his front teeth. However, it didn’t seem to faze him, since he flashed his new signature smile on the runway and backstage.
“Eh, it’s some memories,” Aluvala said.
