On October 20, Gracie’s Cafe was transformed into a high fashion runway. The effort it took to set this event up was clear in the decorations, the hanging pennants and the colourful fabric serving as tablecloths. A runway was set up in the center of the room, prepared to showcase international fashions belonging to Mt. A’s students.
The international fashion show was an event meant to allow some of Mt. A’s international students to show off clothing and fashion from their home countries and cultures. Robin Walker, the International Affairs Coordinator, said that “there [are] over 20 models tonight from; I think we have 13 or 14 different countries represented,” when I spoke to her before the show. She noted that, “we have had a couple international music festivals and we have had cultural festivals, but we have never had a fashion show.” Walker also noted that “Other Canadian Universities that we have spoken to have said that fashion shows are a really great way for students to showcase their nationalities, and their home countries and their cultures, so we were really excited to try it this year.”
When the International Centre was deciding which events to hold this year, they came up with the idea to have a fashion show. Their preparations started a month ago. Walker also spoke about how they recruited their models, saying that they were “sending messages and emails to students and asking them to be models.” Specifically, they looked for “students that had traditional wear from their home countries” that would be willing to perform. Walker said they could do this because “even though we are an international center with over three hundred students here at Mt. A, we know many of them personally.” Walker also noted that the idea of the show was “for international students to really feel, hopefully, like they are bringing a bit of their home and home culture to Mt. A.”
The show itself was wonderful. There were so many beautiful outfits from all over the world, including countries like Japan and Nigeria. They were all presented by students on the runway. The hosts of the event were energetic and fun and there were snacks and samosas from The House of Tarka available.
All in all, it was a lovely show and a wonderful opportunity to see elements of my classmates’ cultures.
