WILL KARR
Editor in Chief
Graphic by NICOLE THORSON | Staff Artist.
Although people may be following the latest fashion trends, they often don’t know their specific origins. At this year’s Black Student Union (BSU) fashion show, BSU is working to showcase trends that originated in Black culture.
This year’s fashion show titled, “Black Gala,” will be hosted by BSU on March 25 in the Steele Hall Fieldhouse at 6 p.m.
“This year’s theme is to add more meaning to what people of color have brought to fashion. Rather than sticking to the histories of what people think people of color represent,” said Sangai Keita, a senior double major in public relations and political science, and fashion show chair. “We are [shining light on how] we as people of color have dedicated to fashion [trends] and the prominent roles that people of color have played when it comes to fashion and the material that we wear today,” she said.
Jhalen Justin, theatre arts major and vice fashion show chair, explained how this year’s theme is different from previous years. Justin said that this year’s theme is more broad, endeavoring to show how there is no monolithic Black experience.
“For a long time, it was the ‘African Diaspora’ type of thing, but we wanted to come up with something different,” Justin said. “With this year’s theme, we are trying to show how much Black people do in every different category and every different thing, showing how we can do it all.”
This year’s fashion show will be hosted by comedian Courney Bee Bledsoe, who was on the last season of the MTV comedy challenge show “Wild n’ Out,” which is hosted by Nick Cannon.
“Even if people don’t know the host, it is just a great opportunity to bring people of color who are in that light acknowledgement for what they do. [The host] doesn’t really have to be a comedian — it can be an actor or an athlete, anyone can host the show,” Keita said. “But we want to stay within the people of color range and give our people some acknowledgment.”
Overall, Justin, Keita and all the models are excited for this year’s event.
“The models and us are trying to do our part to get the fashion show shown and get people out there to … be a part of the show because we are going to [graduate] soon and we need people to take over so it can keep going and growing and so that we can get back to the glory we once were,” Justin said.
Tickets for this year’s fashion show can be purchased at The Ticket Office in the Williams Center. Tickets cost $10 for students, $15 for general admission and $25 dollars for VIP tickets.