The student models of Fashion for a Cause hit the catwalk last weekend at Main Street Arena to present their annual fall charity fashion show — this year dubbed “Cirque du Soleil: Le Grand Tour.”
The show featured a creative cornucopia of styles, as the student models worked the runway in attire designed by students or provided by local stores.
Inspired by the famed shows of Cirque du Soleil, fashions were presented in a sequence of nine segments: Quidam, Dralion, Totem, Love, Iris, Michael Jackson, Zumanity, Saltimbanco and Ka. The fashions modeled in each segment corresponded to the themes, colors and moods provoked by various Cirque du Soleil shows.
“The theme that they chose for this year, ‘Cirque du Soleil,’ made for a really great show that was not just about fashion but also dance,” fourth-year College student Sarah Saleeb said. “I could really see the whole audience getting into it and they did an awesome job keeping it versatile.”
By combining a passion for fashion with a commitment to service, members of Fashion for a Cause work to raise money for various causes in the University and Charlottesville communities through their fall show and other functions. Last year the fall show raised $3,500 for the Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center. This year, the group is raising money for college scholarships for high school students in the Charlottesville area.
Fashion for a Cause also strives to give minority groups at the University an outlet through which to convey their creativity and share their cultural traditions.
Earlier in the fall, Fashion for a Cause held auditions to cast the models for the Nov. 17 show. Each model had to interview with the group’s chairs and fill out a questionnaire, said second-year College student Carol Yacoub, who modeled for the event. After a series of cuts and callbacks, the directors whittled down the number of participants to 26.
The chosen 26 also participated in other promotional and charitable events as part of their responsibilities as student models. The organization held a “Meet the Models” date auction earlier this month to raise money to put toward this year’s goal.
Preparation for the final event was rigorous, involving two-hour practices twice a week. The week before the show, models were asked to walk the runway every day.
Each portion of the show featured different fashions and different ambiences. During the Michael Jackson segment, models strutted to tunes by the King of Pop, creating images that channeled his music videos and wearing clothes that reflected his personal taste — leather jackets, darker shirts and a little sparkle. During the Love segment, a tribute to The Beatles, more brightly colored, bubbly fashions predominated.
Fashion for a Cause collaborated with other student organizations for the show. Members of The Pride: Lion Dance at U.Va. provided a rousing entry on the Chinese drum to introduce the fashions of the Dralion segment, which aimed to mix Western and Eastern cultural modes. Alongside the drummer were two lion dancers in traditional Chinese costume, who helped set the mood for the second segment of the show. Other groups that performed included the Virginia Wushu Club, which added some martial arts flair to the Ka portion of the show.
The show was well-received by attendees and models alike. “I would do this again in a heart-beat,” Yacoub said. “The ties you make with the other models are very strong and I consider the [Fashion for a Cause] group my family.”
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