Earlier this month, models strutted, cameras blazed and the music played at 麻豆传媒鈥檚 second annual Vaudeville Fashion Show.
Not your average fashion show, Vaudeville boasts a blend of performance and couture, utilizing carefully choreographed acting and dancing along with music and lighting to create a unique and high-energy event. The evening was a showcase of student talent involving many aspect of creative expression 鈥� with all proceeds going to Halifax charity Dress for Success.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a chance for students who are interested in expressing themselves creatively to come together and put on a show that displays collections of their work that they鈥檙e proud of,鈥� says Donelle Fraser, president of the Vaudeville Fashion Show Society and co-producer of the event. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a fashion show, but it鈥檚 supposed to be more of a broad interpretation of fashion. I like to think of it as a wearable art show.鈥�
Fashion in motion
鈥淲e like our designers to be really creative and experimental,鈥� explains Fraser. 鈥淲e try to break some of the standard norms of fashion and come up with something that鈥檚 really original. That鈥檚 our goal.鈥�
Each designer was given their own segment to show off their creations. They worked with models and choreographers to come up with a display that is entertaining and fitting to the designer鈥檚 vision.
This year鈥檚 17 designers put together 12 unique collections that explored a diverse variety of styles and themes. From variations in the traditional three-piece suit to visions of future fashion, complete with glowing edges and alien dancing.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 an important platform of creative expression for students,鈥� says Charlotte Cowan, society vice-president and co-producer of the show. 鈥淎 lot of our students are in the Costume Studies program and I鈥檝e heard from them that they appreciate it as a way to put the skills that they鈥檙e learning in class to practice,鈥� as well as 鈥淭o have a platform to display it and see what other people think.鈥�
The variety of styles is reflective of the variety in designers. 鈥淲e have people from so many different faculties,鈥� says Cowan. With the exception of Costume Studies, she says, 鈥減eople in most faculties don鈥檛 have the opportunity to sew, or choreograph or model. This is a way to do that, have fun, get involved and meet people.鈥�
Dressing for success
Vaudeville isn鈥檛 just an outlet for creative expression. All proceeds go towards Halifax鈥檚 local chapter of , a charity organization that provides economically disadvantaged women with clothing and job training so that they can get back on their feet and become economically independent.
The Vaudeville society is also an outspoken advocate for healthy body image as well as representation of different cultures, genders and sexual orientations within fashion.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not looking for super tall and skinny stick people,鈥� says Cowan about their models. 鈥淲e want all genders and all shapes and sizes. Because it鈥檚 not about the model; it鈥檚 about the clothes, and the clothes are sewn to fit the models.鈥�
鈥淭he only requirement we might have for people to enter the show is prior sewing ability,鈥� says Cowan. 鈥淏ut we still encourage people who want to learn how to sew to join and be part of the society. We have one girl who did not know how to sew,鈥� she reflects, 鈥渂ut she taught herself, made four pieces and put them in the show this year!鈥�
In addition to designers, the society is also open to people who may want to get involved as models or choreographers.
Learn more on the society鈥檚 .
The show's executive team (left to right): Donelle Fraser (president/co-producer), Emily Brown and Kristen Reid (marketing executives), Laura VanMeerveld (secretary and model coordinator), Charlotte Cowan (vice-president/co-producer) Courtney Edwards and Alex Merkel (fundraising executives).