Fashion took over Florida Atlantic University on Tuesday night as Program Board and Fashion Forward, a student-led organization that embraces all aspects of the fashion industry, teamed up for a fashion show committed to ethical fashion, held in Live Oak on the Boca Raton campus.

The fashion show, emceed by Jamahl Hanna, a sophomore majoring in film, revolved around three categories: fur, denim, and safari. Every outfit was made and modeled by students. The fashion show consisted of models from Fashion Forward, and the models were dressed by one of FAU’s youngest clubs, ReviveFashion at FAU, a fashion design club focused on creating a place for creatives to build community and grow in their craft.

“Our director, Alyssa Jeune…she had this brilliant idea. She wanted a very high-fashion show for us,” said Vanessa Saint Fleur, a junior multimedia major and PBFAU’s media chair. “She wanted us to get dressed, feel good about ourselves, and for us to feel good about each other at the same time.” 

According to Fashion Forward’s fashion liaison, Tanisha Payant, a sophomore majoring in criminal justice, the show was a way to premiere their newer models who were cast during the club’s weekly practices. Payant’s role as the club’s fashion liaison is to pick the themes for the fashion shows and photoshoots and to ensure that all models align with the chosen creative themes.

Zenobia King, a junior majoring in psychology and Revive Fashion’s president, explained the club’s role in the fashion show. 

“I was in Fashion Forward from my first year of college, and then I met Jamahl. He’s very integrated with ReviveFashion, with the Program Board, and Fashion Forward. So he was like, ‘We need designers for the Program Board’s new fashion show, and ReviveFashion, we’re founded on fashion and design,” said King. “So we knew we had to design pieces for this event.”

Revive Fashion wanted to upcycle for the event, going around South Florida to thrift denim, fur, and safari-themed clothing. Some models already had clothes fitting for the theme, while the club designed additional outfits that models later debuted.  

Models cycled down the runway, showcasing their themed outfits along with their unique walks as onlooking students cheered. Students were not only there to watch, but also to judge models as well. Three prizes were set out for the winners based on how loud the crowd cheered for each model.

Students cheer for which category they favored, and then from each category, they choose their favorite model. Kaitlyn Lawrence, a sophomore exercise science major, secured third place in the fur category. Lawrence was cast a week before the show took place, and as the third-place winner, she received a tote bag filled with a colored pencil set and Sony headphones.

The crowd thought the denim category deserved second place, in which Daijhon Alford, a civil engineering junior, placed second. Alford was cast not just based on his walk but because of his timeliness during his first audition for the show, as he showed up before his opponent. Alford won a Cuisinart air fryer. 

Ultimately, Payant won the crowd over, securing her spot as the first-place winner. The crowd cheered the loudest not just for Payant but also for her categories: the safari and jungle theme. For her prize, Payant went home with a Brother sewing machine. 

Divya Aggarwal, a senior psychology major, found out about the fashion show through one of her friends. Aggarwal attended the fashion show to make new friends on campus.

“I did enjoy the event. I love the outfits, I love the energy, and I love the community. The community came out,” said Aggarwal, when speaking about why she would attend any future events. 

Kornelia Bonar, a senior English major and frequent attendee of university events, who found out about the event through an official Instagram post by the Program Board, lent her thoughts to this year’s fashion show. 

“Every single one is so fun, and everyone here is just amazing. This event was honestly perfect. I love the crowd’s energy…It was a really, truly amazing night,” said Bonar. 

Kaii Thompson is the Culture Reporter for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email kaiiliburdthompson@gmail.com.