On Feb. 12, the Black/African American Cultural Center, Asian Pacific American Cultural Center, United Women of Color and RamEvents hosted Threads of Tradition: A Black History Month Fashion Showcase in the Lory Study Center Grand Ballroom.
This event welcomed anyone who chose to attend. There was food, hot chocolate and various vendors, each selling unique items.
“Allowing us to do this gets to show we aren’t just certain things that they want us to fit into. We can design. We can do all this, perform, sing, write. We can do everything everyone else can, so don’t count us out.” –Deja Sangster, United Women of Color president
“It’s a night for people to come by and relax and just have a good time,” said Ashenafi Paulos, B/AACC liaison for RamEvents.
The designers and models participating in this fashion show are all students at Colorado State University. They each creatively expressed the theme, Blacklight: Brilliance through Resistance, with their clothing.
“We came up with that theme because some things are invisible until you put a black light on them,” Paulos said. “So we basically came up with it because historically, Black people have been overlooked, even though we are brilliant. … We decided to showcase that by saying Blacklight: Brilliance through Resistance because it’s like we were in the dark, and now we’re actually being able to shine a light on our brilliance and all the things that we’ve done and things that we have accomplished.”
Attendees excitedly awaited the start of the show. This event brought in new and returning guests.
“I feel like so many people don’t know how big of a culture we have here, so it will definitely lead people who don’t go to the B/AACC office or have never been to an event like this to know what we’re about,” said Shaza Mohamed, a CSU student.
The event consisted of three rounds, each having a different category. Round one was radiant rebellion; round two was street to spotlight and round three was Black royalty. Each contestant had the creative freedom to interpret and artistically express the categories in a way that best suited them. The contestants walked the runway while the crowd returned the energy with cheers.
For some, this show was about more than fashion. It was an experience of self-expression and growth.
“I’m really inspired by my mom, and I just heard her voice in my head, like, ‘Go for it,’” said Carmen Warren, CSU student and contestant in the fashion show. “With this modeling thing, I think if I put myself out there, I’m going to learn to be more comfortable with myself, be more comfortable with the world and just present myself the way I like presenting myself in my clothing.”
The top three contestants received prizes and applause from the crowd as they accepted their placements. There were judges present, along with crowd interaction when choosing the winner for audience choice.
The event also offered community members an opportunity to show off their skills. Between rounds, there were singing performances along with a spoken word poem. Talents of all kinds were showcased for watchers to enjoy, and there was unity in appreciating what each person had to offer.
“Allowing us to do this gets to show we aren’t just certain things that they want us to fit into,” said Deja Sangster, United Women of Color president. “We can design. We can do all this, perform, sing, write. We can do everything everyone else can, so don’t count us out.”
Community was formed among the performers, attendees and the collaborators who made this fashion show possible.
“It’s really fun to be working with people of color, said Shiraz Dahamsha, event programmer at RamEvents and Southwest Asian and North African Club president. “For me myself, I’m an international student. I’m also from Palestine, so I think we all come from struggle. We all come from similar experiences, so it’s always really fun to be working with people with similar experiences, maybe similar backgrounds that understand you.”
Reach Janaya Stafford at life@collegian.com or on Twitter @CSUCollegian.
