The Montclair State Fashion Club after a successful Cultural Fashion Show. Photo by Carlie Madlinger
The Fashion Club at Montclair State held its Cultural Fashion Show, “All Around the World,” on Friday, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m.
The seventh floor of University Hall was transformed into an electric space filled with fashion enthusiasts, vendors, like Metal of Pearl and, of course, a runway on Friday night for the Cultural Fashion Show hosted by the Fashion Club at Montclair State.
With this being the club’s seventh annual fashion show, the E-Board decided to present a unique theme contrasting past years, calling this year’s show “All Around the World.”
“We realized that a lot of cultural clubs had fashion shows and we wanted to have a huge one that showcased everyone’s culture and who they are,” said Ciarra McLean, a super-senior and fashion studies major. “I think it’s beautiful when cultures are shared and celebrated, especially in a time of such political stress.”
The fashion show featured looks from five diverse cultures: Korean, African, Indian, Armenian and German. Lord & Taylor presented an American collection which exhibited how these cultures’ styles have become modernized and can come together. Montclair State student designers also showed their own collections.
“There has been so much negativity around the world these past few years,” said Melissa Ayden, a senior double majoring in fashion studies and business administration with a concentration in marketing. “We wanted to remind people of how beautiful the world and human nature is. There is no better way for us to do that than to showcase the clothing of different cultures.”
Aydin, who is also the president of the fashion club, continued, “We worked extremely hard with our co-sponsors who are cultural organizations to help represent their countries. We had to put more thought and consideration with everything we planned to avoid negative appropriation. Overall, I believe people enjoyed the different looks on the runway.”
As billboard hits like “Princess of China” by Coldplay and “Waka Waka” by Shakira blasted from the DJ’s speakers, Montclair State students modeled the diverse garments and strutted their stuff down the runway.
Lenaya Ford, the vice president of Montclair State’s fashion club and a junior majoring in business marketing praised the different cultures’ fashion and style respresented at the show, saying, “It gives people a new perspective in which they may see something that can even change their style.”
The vice president of the Armenian Student Organization, Katya Kupelian, modeled in the fashion show for the Armenian collection. A junior majoring in TV production and minoring in English, Kupelian said the outfit she wore on the runway “is one of [her] favorites because it is a little more modern-looking while keeping the elegance of the traditional Armenian style.”
“The Indian ensembles were really cool. I liked those a lot. I liked the colors,” said Mackenzie Barnes, a sophomore child advocacy major and sister of Sigma Sigma Sigma, one of the co-sponsors for the event.
“Seeing the ethnic clothing is inspiring,” said Abby Lillethun, coordinator of the fashion studies program at Montclair State. “When the African garments came out it was just so now, I was excited to see that. I thought ‘Don’t they want to wear this now?’”
Nicole Piggot, a New York Fashion Week veteran and makeup artist for the fashion show, said, “It’s so beautiful and it’s so great to appreciate other people’s cultures and other people’s sense of dress, and I think that it’s awesome that the fashion club is doing this.”
Pigott, a senior psychology major and creator of her own company, Matte and Gloss, continued, “I think it’s really important, especially in today’s day and age, to show that we’re all different people, but things like fashion can unite us.”
Katya Kupelian, vice president of the Armenian student organization, modeling one of her favorite Armenian outfits. Photo by Carlie Madlinger
