University of Wisconsin’s Black Student Union held their annual fashion show “Reclaiming the Narrative: Past, Present, & Becoming” Feb. 27 to celebrate the Black community and its culture through fashion and design.
The show followed four subthemes that represented Blackness in different ways according to how the designers identify, BSU Outreach Coordinator Jada Matson said. These themes included Black in Time, Hairitege, Scene in Color and The Blackprint.
“All of our themes kind of fall into different ideas of what the idea of Black diaspora is,” Matson said. “All of our designers are Black, so how they identify in their Blackness was a really big thing.”
The decision of the themes and planning of the event was a collaborative effort by BSU board members who worked with student models and designers beginning in early November through February, according to Matson.
This event gave participants the opportunity to express themselves through clothes, hair and fashion, and it showed how this has been done throughout history, according to spoken-word poetry performer Llydia Seay.
“This event allows me to see Blackness represented in many different ways, to see the African American community come together and be creative and be positive and be family,” Seay said. “For us as a community, especially here on campus, this is us leaving our mark.”
Outfits followed the themes, pulling from historical and cultural references, including the Black Panther Movement, traditional African and Caribbean customs and influential Black film. Beyond models displaying their outfits, the event included poetry and music performances and audience participation.
The fashion show brought the community together to show what they think being Black means through art, Matson said. She said it was a way for people to come together and experience what it means to be Black in different lenses.
While it was hosted by BSU, this event brought together several UW student organizations including the African Students Association, Caribbean Student Association and Blk Pwr Coalition, according to Matson.
“It’s so important to find your community on campus, whether or not it’s the Black community or Asian community or Hispanic community or the gay community, definitely come out and see what everything has to offer,” Matson said.
