AAA Fashion Show for Everyone

To the Editors of The Crimson:

"AAA's Fashion Show Is Not for Asians," claims an editorial by June Shih (March 8). Of course, it's not. It is for everybody. So often has the world "cliquish" been affixed to the state of being an Asian or any minority, that this fashion show was to blow up the concept, sky high. Yes, it is going to be a "mega-huge-real-Boston-media-coverage-expected-rea l-hairdressers-real make up artists" fashion show, but it could not have been expanded to these proportions if people did not see the potential for its greatness.

However, some people seem to have misconstrued the underlying reasons for this fashion show due to an article in The Crimson that misinformed its readers ("AAA Seeks Models For Fashion Show," March 9). But before I try to justify the article, it is about time that everyone understands the humble beginnings of this glitzy, full-scale fashion show. Then perhaps, no justification will be necessary.

When I joined the Asian American Association (AAA), I truly believed in the organization. I still do. However, the more Asian dances I went to, the more cultural events I attended, the more I became aware of the disgruntled members, the lack of attendence at these functions and the way people who never even came to a AAA meeting spoke of it with so much skepticism. Words like "clique," "stereotype" and "Oh l'Amour" were the only images people associated with AAA, and I became sick of it. Not of AAA, but of the people who undermined it by criticizing the organization so readily without giving it a chance.

As the social chair of AAA, I wanted to have an event that celebrated our Asian heritage as well as our Asian American culture, and diffuse this to all members of the Harvard community. I wanted people to believe in FAA as much as I did, but I knew it would take more than just another dance to make people excited about AAA again.

A fashion show. Why not? It was a huge success in other colleges, and the concept of a fashion show was exciting, new and a definite twist at Harvard, where the high-paced world of fashion seems as remote as the Quad. It was to feature traditional Asian clothing, as well as non-traditional clothing designed by rising Asian American designers in the field. It was to combine the old and the new, the East and the West.

Furthermore, AAA wanted to give something back to the community. With this in mind, we made the event a charity semi-formal dance and fashion show where a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Battered Asian Women's Shelter.

The fashion show was also to feature the theme, "Buy Boston." According to Geoffrey B. Small, one of the designers in the show, Boston loses approximately $2 billion and 65,000 jobs in the fashion industry because consumers are not aware of Boston-based designers. We wanted to increase the awareness of this economic situation, and to give people more access to Boston designers who will be featured in the fashion show. This is not a frivolous event with Asians playing "dress up." It is a serious fashion show with serious goals. But I don't think that's what The Crimson is interested in.

The Crimson article neglected the important facts and stressed the physical requirements, including the controversial height requirement. To put it simply, there were none. I told The Crimson that 5'6" for women and 5'8" for men would be ideal, and those were the requirements in another Asian fashion show I attended, but people would not be turned away on account of their height. However, what was actually printed in the newspaper is a different story.

I was also quoted out of context saying we were looking for "non-stereotypical" models. This was not an attempt to combat Asian stereotypes or to create new ones. There was no attempts to impose Western standards on Asians. In fact, the only stereotype I was trying to fight was the idea that only Cindy Crawfords of the world can grace the pages of fashion magazines.

Asians are under-represented in the fashion world and it is one of the many areas that we need to explore. I don't expect people to drop everything and transfer from Harvard to Barbizon, but this show was to make Asian Americans think more carefully about the doors that are open to them.

To dispel one more misconception, the models are not all Asian. Many non-Asians auditioned for the show as well, and we do have diversity in the models. In addition, not all models fulfill the height requirements, because they never existed in the first place.

I realize that people were misinformed, and June Shih's editorial was the product of this misunderstanding. However, I saw something more disturbing in the editorial that I recognized as one of the problems plaguing AAA. The writer approached the fashion show with a premeditated bias. It didn't matter why AAA was sponsoring it, or what the event was for, the concept of a fashion show was a threat enough.

The writer remembers the model search posters well. There was a "tall, slim, decidedly caucasian-looking female," which she believed typified "western standards of beauty." The logo was a simple sketch of a generic women in a dress. She didn't even have distinct facial features, which just goes to show what you see when you are so obviously looking for something more.

Don't let your own biases undermine the importance of something else. AAA has much to offer and this fashion show is one example of it. Maybe the transition from a "model Asian" to an "Asian model" is a concept you find silly, maybe even stupid. But closing that option would be a mistake.

When the spotlight come on in the Sheraton Commander Hotel, April 24, I hope everyone can join AAA in sharing something special. It doesn't matter if you are tall or "vertically challenged," Asian or non-Asian. Because these difference won't matter. AAA sponsors events that are for everyone. They always have. They always will. Haewon Hwang '95   Social Chair   Asian American Association