Student org shows off "glamorous" side

Author: Rachael Jennings

With flashing lights, trendy clothes and contagious music revved by DJ Thompson Davis '08, McCullough Social Space definitely got a taste of the glamorous life on April 26. That night, under pulsing spotlights and encouraged with warm applause, Middlebury's African American Alliance (AAA) put on an amazing and entertaining fashion show entitled "Glamorous."

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"It's hard to come up with a theme for the Fashion Show that can encompass so many diverse sections," explained Maegen North '08, one organizer of the event, "but we were inspired by Fergie's 'Glamorous' song. Everyone loves the song and it gave us room to be creative with advertising and individual sections."

This year - though the AAA fashion show has been a long-standing tradition - the organization was trying to capture "more of a supermodel feel," according to AAA treasurer Melissa Espert '09. Further, the lingerie section was new to this runway - it is only in its second year in appearance.

Organized by North and Johnny Williams '10, the fun-spirited event had a serious mission: at the door, guests were invited in for free but a suggested donation was requested. All donations benefited the Angel Award, which is given annually to a sophomore woman of color.

"Since the Angels Award Fund was established, AAA has always raised money to donate to the fund," said North. "The president of AAA is also on the selection committee for who receives the scholarship, so we always try to contribute."

A solid crowd filled McCullough in support of friends, classmates and the Award. "The show is always one of the most populated events AAA holds. It is a great tradition," said Espert.

The show started off with what Davis called "The Inaugural Act" - the lingerie set. Certainly the most risqué set, the models wore long coats with heels and started with their backs to the audience, Beyonce's "Ring the Alarm" pounding across the room. One by one they strutted down a long runway, unbuttoning their jackets and revealing silky nightgowns and strappy lingerie.

When they finished, Davis commented, "That's not fair to anybody. That's a tease, man."

For a change of pace, John Legend's smooth voice floated over the audience as the models transitioned into the next set.

"This piece is about hair ... beautiful, unruly and otherwise unmanageable hair," explained one model.

The models paraded out from behind the curtain with beautifully varied hair - long, short, braided, curled, cropped, twisted. Wearing casual wear ranging from t-shirts to sweatshirts, the models stunned the audience with the intricacies of their hairstyles as Kanye West played under the "flashing lights" of the runway.

The next set announced was the Cocktail Party selection.

"I guess we're expecting cocktail dresses," joked Davis. "I'm just going out on a limb here."

Some features were a gorgeous low-backed yellow dress, cute floral halters, classy black dresses, bold patterns, '70s-style print fabric and sparkling textures, all paired with elegant open-toed heels. Christine Chung '10 sported a flamenco dancer-inspired black halter that swirled dramatically under the lights.

International Style graced the runway next, and proved the most colorful and exciting set. Models strutted down the runway sporting traditional, and sometimes handmade, clothing for the audience.

Next, the models reemerged in Hipster Style ensemble - long shirts, caps, leggings paired with colorful prints, suspenders and stripes colored this section. Some of the male models even stretched a simple look with white t-shirts and tight jeans. Sunglasses, vests and perfectly wrinkled jeans appeared to be a stylish trend for the hipster runway. Dee Lopez '11 presented a more stunningly sophisticated look in a yellow pencil skirt contrasted with bright red heels.

In the final sequence, models danced across the runway in a mix of all of the previous styles, laughing and mingling as Fergie's "Glamorous" echoed through the applause. Their constant dramatic flair and their gregarious chemistry with each other and the audience made the show rival any other runway.

"It was a lot of fun," said first-time participant Abigail Opoku-Agyemang '11, concerning the show's success. "I did it in high school and I was excited to see what it would be like at Middlebury. It was just as fulfilling and the crowd was great."

The event was certainly fun, exciting and undeniably "flossy flossy." Luckily, there will be even more to celebrate next year, as the AAA is celebrating its 20-year tenure at the College.