Descending down the granite stairs of Union Station into the Great Hall, the everyday train lobby now swayed with electric mash-ups and a crowd of fashion forward guests. And then you realize that the large majority of those people are your fellow UChicago students.
Donned in chic dresses, swanky shirts, paired with fancy footwear, many students ditched the jeans for the Annual MODA Fashion show last Friday night. MODA is a student organization that began in 2003 and is an organization for students interested in fashion. The main events for students are the Designer Boot Camp, quarterly fashion events, bi-annual magazine and the MODA blog.
The venue was a great choice by the MODA staff. High ceilings with towering pillars set the tone right. Servers in black carried trays of delectable items such as sushi, cheese, and desserts. If you happened to be of age, there was also a bar. The hall was split into a “mingling area” with small circular tables spaced throughout and then the runway. By purchasing a VIP ticket you received a goodie bag well worth the extra money. Inside a Lululemon bag there were items such as nail polish, face masks, chocolates, coupons, and a gift certificate from various stores.
Now, for the show. The benches of the station were arranged to form a runway, which VIP guests watched from. Music pulsed through the hall as the models walked. Models were dressed in various styles from outfits of high fashion to graceful combinations ready to be worn. As for the men, the pieces were what I’d call, artistic. Definitely interesting but I don’t think there was anything that could actually be worn from their outfits. But nonetheless, the men were just as enjoyable to watch. There was a mixture of true model walks with some more awkward ones that were a little distracting. For the short amount of training and the fact that most of us are not here for modeling, the models did a good job. It was nice to see a mixture of body types. There were the girls who looked like they belonged on the runway with their long slender legs that made their outfits ever more enchanting and there were the girls that brought an appropriate element of normalcy to the world of fashion.
The show started with girls in wispy white dresses then girls in emerald green. There where hues of dark navy threaded with silver. One of my favorite looks were the flowing, sheer, dresses that several of the models wore. Bright spring shades of orange and yellow made an appearance through dresses with floral and tulle. Another memorable design was a floor length white haltered gown with purple satin wrapping around the models waist falling smoothly in the back of the dress and another piece dusting the bottom of the dress. And it wouldn’t be a fashion show without leather and sequins which a few designers incorporated into their pieces.
Nautical, seemingly vintage inspired designs were another highlight. Fiona Malone strode across the runway confidently in deep blue high waisted pants with a feathery light white button down and naturally, an oversized adornment to her hair.
All of these creative designs were done by students, some of which had only been sewing since MODA’s Designer Boot Camp ten weeks earlier. And of course, everything was modeled by students as well. The hair and make-up aspect of the models was done very well with a high-fashion edge to some and a bold everyday look to others which was also done by students. What I did not know until the MC announced it was that the proceeds went to a charitable organization called Dress for Success that helps underprivileged woman. Afterwards, the audience was able to meet the designers and models for a closer look. So if you did not go to MODA this year, next year buy a VIP ticket, dress in your boldest fashion statements, grab a cab and enjoy UChicago’s best-dressed at the MODA fashion show.
Photo credit to Hope Bretscher