Local fashion host, Xavier Morales, is debuting a runway fashion show at just 19 years young, called “The Saints,” which tells the story about an immigrant family in the early 40s.
The show and fashion pieces are inspired by that time and era, with influence of the flash mob and mafia era, giving nods to the gang and mob aesthetic. The theme for the show is expected to have a cocktail theme.
The fashion pieces used for the show are used from the local thrift shop, ‘Pineapple Vintage’ and ‘Fun Funky Fab.’
“They have a lot of vintage clothing and a lot of vintage pieces,” Morales said. “It generally helped me grow with my themes and a lot of my styles basically.”
Morales explained how the story of “The Saints” is historical fiction, detailing the story of Joe Martinez, someone who had run El Paso at the time, where he was then murdered so that they could take over. But he also had found inspiration from his own family’s stories, which helped him develop more to the story, taking a fictionalized route.
“The whole theme is basically the whole killing of the father,” Morales said. “My dad was murdered in Chihuahua, Mexico. He was killed by police. The homage pays to my father.”
Morales wanted to honor not only his father, but his family’s story of how they had migrated to the United States, thanking God for being able to get him to where he is now.
“The Saints” will not only be a blend of runway fashion, but also with theater, Morales is expecting to have a play after the models finish their runway.
“At the end of the show, there’s going to be a little play at the end,” Morales said. “Basically, just to promote the next parts of the storyline. I’m really excited for that.”
Marcos Ugues, who’s been a model for half a year, has been part of ‘”The Saints” process for a couple of months, finding it different from past experiences.
“It is cool, I like it, it’s different,” Ugues said. “I really like the aspect of the storytelling with him. I feel like most of the time with fashion shows, it’s mostly just the clothes. It’s still a creative outlet, but I feel like with this, it takes a step further and incorporates a story behind it.”
A longtime friend of Morales’ and a model for a year and a half, Jalen Morrissey, agreed about how innovative the storytelling is for “The Saints.”
“What has really stood out to me is that there’s an actual story and he’s been trying to put together a very cohesive story,” Morrissey said. “With the pieces he’s choosing, the styling and the story and photo shoots, it’s really cool. I don’t really see that too often.”
First time model, Sandra Perry, is excited to debut for “The Saints,” finding it exciting but nerve-wracking as well.
“This is actually my first time modeling, so we’ll see how this goes,” Perry said. “It’s been really good, they were really sweet. I expect it to be good, obviously I’m going to have nerves and all that, but it’s cool.”
With “The Saints” blending fashion and theater, some can find it equal without the story as well. Four-year model, Abigail Mary McLeod, has been part of the process for “The Saints” for about four months, finding it different but similar to her past experiences in modeling.
“I think that any type of modeling experience is like both, because you’re always selling clothing,” McLeod said. “You’re always portraying a story with that clothing. The process has been really fun, I think, because it’s a new vibe.”.
‘The Saints’ fashion runway show is set to be on May 16, located at 324 E San Antonio Ave, El Paso, TX, with tickets on sale now.
For more information about the show and the show’s story, you can find it here.
Aziel Ramos is a contributor and may be reached at [email protected]
