From the scantily clad Victoria’s Secret angels to classic to Thom Browne’s modest tailoring with a twist, fashion is influential from our skivvies to our power suits. While SEB art director and fourth-year criminal justice major Siju Apejoye is not encouraging students to strut their stuff in their intimates, she was influenced by the iconic annual show to bring the joys of fashion to all WSU students.
“I always watch the Victoria’s Secret shows, I watch random model walks, I love fashion and watching people dress up,” Apejoye said.
Unlike the typical designer-driven fashion show, the models will be dressing themselves according to 5 themes under the banner of Centuries in Style.
In line with the historical fashion trends revived by films and TV shows like “Wuthering Heights” and “Bridgerton”, theme one will be a period-accurate Regency era, which will have strong adherence to accuracy, according to Apejoye.
“Full on the period theme, like that’s how you would dress up if you lived in that time period,” Apejoye said.
Being in the 2020s now, theme 2 will throw us back a mere 100 years to the roaring 20s with flappers and gangsters trafficking the runway.
Moving through history once more, students will embody their favorite Y2K divas in low-rise jeans, bedazzled accessories, animal print, endlessly layered polo shirts and camisoles.
Students will then have an opportunity to show off their modern, trendy outfits befitting of New York man-on-the-street interviews.
On top of these various snapshots of fashion history, the 5th theme is culture, giving students a platform through which to share their traditional dress outside of SEB’s Culture Shock event.
“A lot of us are international students, and we don’t get the chance to wear our cultural clothes all the time, except for when we do stuff like Culture Shock, which happens once a year, or like FCN, which also happens once a year,” Apejoye said. “I thought this would be a way for people to also express themselves, even though it’s not necessarily a century.”
In line with this final theme of culture and in the style of a Victoria’s Secret fashion show, there will be live performances between each of the theme segments, from Mariachi Leones del Monte to God’s Harmony choir.
“I don’t want people to just keep walking like in a traditional fashion show, you get an intermission,” Apejoye said.
Beyond these 5 themes, Apejoye has also planned to honor Women’s History Month with a short women empowerment segment before the final walk.
“It’s only girls walking in that section, I just told them to wear whatever makes them feel empowered, like a baddie, that makes you say ‘yeah, like I’m that girl’. For me, that’s a suit and a blazer.” Apejoye said.
To watch these fashionable Cougs strut their stuff, and enjoy live entertainment by students and free food to top it off. In order to secure your spot, RSVP by March 8 from the QR code on Instagram @wsu_seb.
The fashion show will take place at 5 p.m., March 11, in the CUB Senior Ballroom.