Advancing slowly down a gray catwalk, the models of Pride's 2009 Fall Fashion Show donned stark black garments. A vision in themselves, the models stomped the runway with long, forceful strides, resembling the professional models of the fashion shows in New York City.
Beginning in a single-file line, the Pride models split into two perfect columns. Then, startled by the sudden sound of sirens, they began to exaggerate their movements. Evolving from hardened criminals back to everyday citizens, they moved cautiously, yet fluidly toward the end of the runway, enchanting the audience with a carefully-planned scene while showcasing attire crafted by a few talented designers.
Intertwining the show's theme, "Unusual Suspects," with the organization's goal of displaying student and locally-designed clothing, student organizers from Pride spent months conceptualizing the outfits, themes and goals of the show. A student-run magazine that aims to provide a voice for black students, Pride has put on the event for the past four years. According to the organization's Web site, the event allows Pride to "provide a chance for people of all shapes and sizes ... to model clothing that is reflective of the creativity we have to offer our University and the greater community."
Third-year College student Greg Morris, who participated as a show model, said the idea behind this year's event was that "we were so good at being 'unusual suspects' that the police were not able to catch us. Really, we were all guilty." Appearing in a variety of scenes, Morris and the other "suspect" models appeared at a school, a party and an airport. They assumed different roles at each location, evading police detectives at every juncture.
Being believable was crucial to the success of the show, Morris said, as models had to represent a variety of characters placed in a number of dicey situations. Consequently, director D.J. Hickman said, models were selected for their ability to thrive in a wide variety of scenarios. Though there was "no prototype model," Hickman said, models were chosen based on several different categories, including personality, attitude, appearance and eye contact in addition to acting ability. The auditions took place Aug. 30 and 31.
The designers underwent an equally rigorous tryout process, starting last April. By September, show organizers had selected seven designers, all of whom were chosen based not only on their sketches, but also on whether their style of clothing fit the theme of the show, Hickman said.
The designers presented a telling story based, in part, on scenes from the popular television series, "Law & Order."
Second-year College student Carmen Cotton said she enjoyed the show's dramatic progression, which meandered through various scenes and scenarios.
"I was expecting people to just walk down a runway and pose," she said. "But the show was very creative and very interactive."
People in the audience were animated throughout the event, and few were content to simply sit and watch.
"[Audience members] got up and were dancing during the show," Cotton said, adding that some attendees sang along to the songs being played while others cheered on the models as they walked down the runway.
Although the models presented a range of outfits, from party dresses to swimwear, part of the show placed sole focus on one of this season's freshest fall accessories - scarves, which were worn by both the female and male models. Some were tied loosely around the neck while others were draped around the models' arms.
On the whole, the outfits were imaginative and elaborate, yet practical and diverse. The models also wore dramatic eye make-up, which designers hoped would accentuate the models' faces and create a distinctive look. This look blended with the models' attire and connected with the season and theme of the show.
First-year College student Loryn Crittendon said she appreciated that the clothing could be worn by the average person, as most fashion shows today present clothes that tend to be more abstract and impractical. She added, however, that she felt designers seemed more comfortable toying with the attire of female models and frequently shied away from doing the same for male models.
"While the production was excellent and I really enjoyed it, I thought its exploitation of the female models' bodies was more obvious than that of the males," Crittendon said. "I don't even think there was a male swimsuit model. That is one of the few problems I had with the show."
The event also sought to present themes of environmental sustainability whenever possible, incorporating green features into the design of the attire. The A.V. Company, a Charlottesville-based business that sells audio-visual equipment, provided environmentally-friendly LED lighting, which changed colors and used minimal amounts of energy.
Organizers also donated a portion of the proceeds to the Dance Marathon, an event organized by University students that benefits the University's Children's Hospital.
Overall, the event served to benefit the University community as a whole, providing an outlet for Pride members to showcase their outfits, music and attitude all while emphasizing a good cause.
"I thought the show was great," Crittendon said. "I would go again"
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