Fashion Show Makes Statement

“Show me yours I’ll show you mine” said the tagline for Identities, a fashion show sponsored by the Asian American Association that took place on Saturday. The entirely student-run event sought to demonstrate the way students convey their sense of self through clothing choices and the use of fashion to make cultural statements.

The show was divided up into four segments—Harajuku, Student Design, His/Hers and Hip-Hop.

Harajuku, which opened the show, featured an eclectic assortment of clothing inspired by the eponymous Tokyo district. Student models appeared in everything from neon platform shoes to faux leather leggings.

“It was a hodgepodge of clothes and things you would never think went together. But it was really fun,” said model Jeremy N. Tran ’09.

This pairing of the unexpected was typical throughout the show. Sanby Lee ’08, the creative director of His/Hers, explored the relation of androgyny to clothing. Female models strutted down the runway in black suits and white collared shirts. At one point, a couple stopped at the end of the runway and exchanged accessories. The woman slipped the tie over her head while her male companion untied her strappy stilettos and slung them over his shoulder.

“It’s more than showcasing clothes,” said Tran. “Identities is making a statement on a larger scale and bridging concepts and clothes.”

The Hip-Hop section illustrated the difference between the East and the West. Creative directors Natasha M. Platt ’10 and Moonlit M. Wang ’10 said the exposure to Western culture influences the Asian hip-hop scene in novel ways.

“We wanted to show how people interpret [Western hip-hop] differently and recreate it using their own cultural background and traditions,” Wang said.

They achieved this end by opening their segment with Western hip-hop inspired clothing to act as a contrast to the more Eastern clothing that followed. The outfits underscored the gracefulness yet ferocity of the Asian style. Female models donned jeans and tank tops layered with brightly colored sweatshirts and patterned dresses.

Models for the show were chosen based not on their physical appearance, but on whether the directors felt they had the right attitude for Identities.

“Identities was very much about the models and not just having them be these mannequins that we imposed our vision on,” said Platt. “We were inspired by the individual people that we were working with.”

Students in the audience also remarked on the originality of the fashion featured.

“The clothes were very unique, but had a special flair that fit the models well,” Tina Liu ’11. “That was an incredible event.”