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BSA celebrates St. Louis divesity through fashion

Image+courtesy+of+Cory+Lampkin+Photography
Image courtesy of Cory Lampkin Photography
Image courtesy of Cory Lampkin Photography
Image courtesy of Cory Lampkin Photography

Sunday, April 13, annual fashion show. This year the fashion show was sponsored by Dillard’s department store.
Dillard’s provided all of the clothing items for the night. Providing the shoes and cosmetics for the show, Aldo and Clinique co-sponsored the event. The proceeds from the fashion show went to STL’s Big Brothers Big Sisters program, a national program that helps children reach their full potential and build fruitful futures.
Before the event began, a social event was held in the ballrooms. The social event featured a red carpet with its own photographer, light refreshments and music provided by DJ Vision of the Eclectic Kompound. This space allowed attendees the chance to socialize and show off their personal fashions for the best-dressed competition.
The fashion show took over the Wool ballrooms commanding a fashion forward space.
The lights dimmed and the fashion show’s minimalist logo projected on the screen. Choosing to divert from single runway format, the ballroom’s open space functioned as the rectangular runway. A fishbowl experience was created diverting all attention to the center of the room. In the center, DJ Vision and his turn tables provided the music for the night.
The show was MC’ed by SLU Graduate Student Brittany Conners and SLU junior Montel Cooper. They facilitated the various giveaways, contests and added a real energy to the event. Cardinal’s tickets, cosmetics and t-shirts were all given out over the course of the night.
The crowd was able to get involved in the show by not only showing their energy but also their personal fashions and model walks.

The night’s fashion was separated into four categories; street, prep, evening and summer.
The looks were pieced together very well. The evening was filled with various full looks down to the complimenting accessories and well-chosen shoes. The fashion catered toward the fashion forward young adult and featured many pieces that are accessible to students in terms of price and location. The lighting and music played an intricate role in complementing the looks as well.
Song selections such as Gold Panda’s “Reprise” remix gave the show the slinky smooth feeling to the space and an air of elegance to the clothing. All of this made up for the lack luster walks of some of the models as the pace was slow and the runaway long. Model Makaya Bowers, however, did command the space very well and her signature walk was said by many to, “Give me life.” Overall, the event was elegant, well planned and well crafted.
Traditionally the annual event was used to showcase Black culture through fashion, but this year’s purpose reached for loftier heights.
The following is an excerpt from the event’s program:
“To contribute to the cultural fabric of the SLU community, this year the runway will not only showcase the clothes of today but the ever changing diversity of SLU—This show emulates what we hope for the future”
The event worked to do this through the diversity of the models racially, culturally, religiously and even educationally. The models included not only SLU students but also students from Webster, WashU and the greater St. Louis Community. Future president of the junior Chris Walters said, “The primary objective was making the show as diverse as possible.” Walters and his 2014-15 board are making an effort to make the Black Student Alliance more collaborative and inclusive with events. They hope to bring the SLU Saint Louis University’s Black Student Alliance hosted their 16th community together. “BSA is here and willing to create an inclusive environment for all,” Walters said.
What does BSA’s new initiative mean to the SLU community? Is it a call to organizations on campus to break from traditional molds to create a more cohesive campus?

Is it a call to university’s to work together to create ties? Or is it a call to the wider St. Louis community to work with the university to create a greater St. Louis community? No matter what Saint Louis University’s Black Student Alliance’s intention they may be setting the bar for what CSO’s traditionally call “collaboration” a rung higher.

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