A review of the Black Cultural Arts Council’s annual fashion show

Walking down the stairs of the Century Center on the evening of Saturday, March 29, one beheld an impressive sight: Twinkling lights dangled down from the ceiling, and large windows gave a mystifying view of the St. Joseph River, lit up by street lamps after the sunset.

The Black Cultural Arts Council of Notre Dame (BCAC) Fashion Show proved an incredible performance, featuring designs from Greta’s Bridal, Old Navy, Mandala, Heshima Couture, and other national and local designers. From the varied and artistic designs, to the professionalism of the student models, to the music that accompanied each set, the show left the audience wanting more.

Directed by Olivia Mitchell, this show’s theme was Escape. The host explained how the show was meant to display and encourage escaping from what one knows, and escaping into one’s fantasy. “Do what you want to do,” she told the audience.

The show was set in two powerful acts, each with five scenes. The first scene was entitled “Sweet Dreams” and the last “Beautiful Nightmare,” reminiscent of the popular Beyoncé song. In typical Beyoncé fashion, these songs were two of the most well-received scenes.

One scene featured the confident walks and fierce smiles of high-school seniors from the local South Bend YMCA. The host explained how the BCAC works to foster community between Notre Dame and the surrounding South Bend area. With the exception of these guest models, Notre Dame students featured the rest of the fashions.

Jessica Pedroza, one of the many talented models, explained why she thinks students should come to this Fashion Show in the future: “The money goes toward a great cause, the scholarship. Also, it’s great to support your fellow peers who have been working really hard ever since the tryouts last semester to put on this show.”

Proceeds from the tickets, which were $10 in advance, go to the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Award. The award gives financial aid to students in need. This year’s recipient proved to be a talented model in Saturday’s show.

Pedroza also described why she decided to audition for this competitive show: “I came as a [prospective student] for Spring Visitation last year, and when I saw the fashion show I knew that if I committed to Notre Dame I would want to be in it because it looked like so much fun.”

All of the models certainly looked like they were having fun, strutting fiercely down the runway under the glare of the spotlights and the gaze of the amazed audience. It seemed that each model was able to incorporate his or her own uniqueness and personality into each scene.

This was no New York City fashions show where each model looks identical to the next and has the same uninterested expression on her face. These were strong and confident Notre Dame men and women. One such model was Fauvé Liggans-Hubbard. She recounts her emotions at the beginning of the show:

“The first time I went out was really nerve-wracking. In my head I said ‘Showtime!’ and I knew I had to give the audience a performance to remember. It was really cool to hear my friends screaming my name and I thought, ‘I’m a superstar now!’”

Liggans-Hubbard also said the last scene was sad because it marked the show’s conclusion, but that it was great to see all of the group’s hard work and long rehearsals come together so well. She added, “I hope I can do it again next year!” The show is sure to be a success for years to come.

Dana Deradoorian is a freshman English major and a diagnosed Netflix addict. To recommend a new show, contact her at dderadoo@nd.edu.