Fashionality’s third annual fashion show “Le Parc a la Francais” brought up-and-coming designers and models together Sept. 30 to transform Eastern Michigan University’s University Park into a lavish circus-themed night in Paris.
When the light from cameras flashed and the music began, there was no mistaking the real thing. The lights and the moon reflecting off the water made the Parisian-themed scenery perfect. As the music played and models revealed their stunning hair, makeup and dazzling fashion it was hard to believe you weren’t actually at a French circus.
Jasmine McClain expressed the amazement she felt when she saw how beautiful the park was. Although she had only seen romantic French films on television, she felt she was in one.
Fashionality is a student organization that brings love for fashion, professionalism and personality together to network and fully produce a fashion week at EMU. The fashion show and other events leading up to the show give student and local designers the opportunity to showcase their designs. The official model casting call was in June, but the staff had already started preparing and brainstorming in March.
Timothy Wilson, vice president and fashion coordinator, said the show took a lot of hard work and dedication to pull off. It was very important everything happened in the correct time frame, because punctuality was a high priority.
The show included around 45 female and male models who showed off 10 different clothing lines. The variety of clothing styles ranged from dresses and jumpsuits to bowties and studded shirts. The styles were far from boring, and the vibrant colors kept people’s eyes glued. Silk, crochet, classic cotton and lace were just some of the fabrics that made up these one-of-a-kind designs. The outfits could have easily been worn as everyday outerwear, formal attire, casual wear or elegant eye-catching attention-getters.
McClain, who had an up-close view on the models’ outfits, hair and makeup, said, “I really thought they did a good job of picking the right type of music too. It was like the music flowed so well with the outfits, as if they were made for each other.”
The makeup and hair played as much of a role as the outfits. Makclia Baldwin, one of the five stylists responsible for hairstyling, said four hair options were available to choose from:
“Pushed back, curly wild, wavy wild and French roll were the hair categories that the models wore. The models wore the same hairstyle throughout the show but accessories may have been altered or added depending on the outfit and designer.”
Feathered lashes, jewels and face paint truly defined eye candy by providing the audience with some extra fierceness to enjoy. The two makeup artists responsible for the faces of the models delivered something extra to look at, while still allowing the outfit to be the main focus.
The outside scenery was also attention-grabbing. The Eiffel tower, tons of lights and arranged chairs all contributed to the transformation of the night. The professionalism of starting on time and the staff’s ability of keeping errors to a minimum showed the seriousness and dedication of the Fashionality members, which made it possible to bring Paris to EMU.
