First ever fashion show is another day of fun
The cafeteria was decked out in summer decor on Friday May 5, with beach balls and towels adorning the tables and palm fronds everywhere. The runway was cleared, the audience filed in, and everyone was excited for the first ever fashion show put on by the NPHS Fashion Club, titled “Another Day of Sun.” Unbeknownst to the crowd however, backstage, the models were having a mini crisis.
“A couple of our models couldn’t make it to the show,” Melody Hellard, the president of Fashion Club, said. “That was kind of nerve wracking because it threw off the order. . . we had to call other people to see if they could model and we didn’t know if anything would fit them.”
Still the club members took the setback in stride, and, with lively music setting the scene, the first clothing line was introduced and the fashion show was performed with style.
Only two years ago, the Fashion Club at NPHS was in danger of being discontinued, but when Hellard heard of this, she knew she could not let this happen.
“The club shut down and I was really upset, but then they told me that either they were going to cancel it, or I could take it over,” the sophomore said, recounting her experience in becoming president. “I just decided that I had to do it.”
With their shared interest in clothing design, sewing and the fashion industry, the club members decided to put on a fashion show, planning it since the end of the previous school year. Cali Greenidge, sophomore and vice president of the club, was in charge of coordinating this event, and described what the preparation entailed.
“We had to contact boutiques, and get models, which has been a struggle, and make flyers and do publicity,” Greenidge said.
Many features of the show were donated, like the palm trees from Home Depot, the hair bows from MicaBows, the free gift “swag bags” from We Are Onyx, the raffle basket from Grateful Naturals and baked goods and beach raffle basket from Celebrate Sweetly. FIDM, Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, supports the club year round, sponsoring them and sending them to fashion events as well.
Following recent trends, this was a spring/summer show that was “ready-to-wear,” which Hellard explained to be “something that you would wear everyday.” For Greenidge, this aspect of the show was particularly exciting.
“Anything that walks down the runway you can buy, and most of the outfits you can buy right on the spot, so that is going to be really cool,” the vice president said before the show.
Two of the collections in the show were donated by Lauren and Gary Garner and Succulent Clothing Boutique, and the other two collections were made by Greenidge and Hellard themselves. Greenidge’s collection was inspired by her heritage, with many of her fabrics imported from Ghana, and she utilized bright colors and patterns. Hellard’s designs were inspired by the 1960’s and she even included original lace from the 1930’s.
“My favorite part [of the show] was when me and Cali showed clothes that we made, because it was really cool to see my clothes on other people, and it was also really cool to see what Cali has done,” Hellard said.
For each collection, models strutted in and worked the catwalk all the way around the room, their nails and hair done by Lauren B. Beauty and Pacific Breeze Salon, respectively. Renee Jue, sophomore, thoroughly enjoyed the modeling and people that came with it.
“Besides the walking and dancing obviously, [my favorite part was] probably hanging out with all of the girls, getting everything ready for you guys,” Jue said.
As the first fashion show the club has ever put on, they were proud of their production and happy with its fiscal success, raising $293 and getting 20% of the clothing sales that night from the boutiques. Hellard hopes to use the money towards more club projects, field trips and the club’s next fashion show, for which plans are already in the works.
“Hopefully we’ll get more of the school involved and maybe even get different clubs and stuff to all collaborate on it,” Hellard said. “If we work all summer on stuff, hopefully more people will have stuff to show at the next fashion show [too].”
