Eleganza Show Wows Crowd

It was all glitter and gold on Friday in the Bright Hockey Center for the annual Eleganza fashion show.

In front of a crowd estimated at nearly 2,000, with a sold-out VIP section, 49 students paraded down the runway modeling a colorful array of getups.

The theme of this year’s show, hosted by BlackCAST (Community and Student Theater), was “Elements of Desire,” with four acts centered on Earth, Fire, Water, and Air motifs. Each scene displayed a different color scheme: Earth models wore brown-tones, Fire models wore red-tones, Water models wore blue-tones, and Air models wore metallic tones.

The show began with a performance by two teenagers from the Center for Teen Empowerment and a presentation of a check for $5,000 to the Center, located in Boston.

The models and staff volunteered at the Center during the course of the semester, according to Elena Abrosimova ’09, one of Eleganza’s executive producers.

“Every year the show gets bigger and better,” Abrosimova said. “I think this year, the show was very well organized.”

The Black Men’s Forum performed a step show during intermission, receiving many cheers from the crowd, especially when members of the group danced to part of Chris Brown’s “Take You Down” and ripped off their shirts.

Oluwadara A. Johnson ’10, another executive producer, said that “everyone was pleasantly surprised with the show.”

“There was a lot more emphasis placed on fashion this year and stylistic nuances,” Johnson said.

Models also agreed on the improvements to this year’s Eleganza.

“A lot of the older models in the show commented on how much more organized this year was,” said Kara M Hollis ’11, a first-time Eleganza model.

The spectacle lasted over two hours, but a large portion of the audience left after the catwalk modeling during the performance of “Bed” singer J. Holiday.

An added bonus for those in the VIP section, besides the prime seats, were the gift bags, which included discount coupons, shirts from Jack Wills, the British outfitter, and Vitamin Water.

Audience members said that this year’s Eleganza was well worth the $12-$15 price tag.

“I especially liked the fact that, from what I could see, all ethnicities were represented in the models, every color of the rainbow was pretty much on stage, and it made for a very interesting and eclectic experience,” said Clayton W. Brooks III ’10.

Spencer H. Hardwick ’11 summed up the atmosphere of the show: “It was really well run. I thought it was worth the hype. I had a really good time.”