Identities and Eleganza: What's the Difference?

Do you consider yourself a fashionista? Do you like looking at hot people? Style mavens and human beauty aficionados rejoice, as April is Harvard’s most ~fabulous~ month. After all, April 15 and 22 mark the dates of Harvard's most premier fashion shows—Identities and Eleganza. However, if you’re #basic enough to enjoy salmon shorts and Vineyard Vines or still a clueless freshman, you might still be confused.

“Wait a second—Identities and Eleganza aren’t the same thing? Why are my friends all of a sudden posting weirdly edited pics of them "smizing" intensely?”

Don’t worry, we are here to fill you in with the freshest details about the absolute crème de la crème of glamour on campus.

First and foremost—Identities and Eleganza are NOT the same thing.

Eleganza is a fashion and dance show founded in 1994 by the umbrella organization Harvard Black C.A.S.T. The show is not just about pizzaz and oozing sex appeal; Eleganza models razzle dazzle for a cause. The show toutes its inclusivity and diversity, and donates all the proceeds from the 2000+ tickets sold to the Boston Center for Teen Empowerment. In this show, the clothes are less important than the electrifying atmosphere and high energy moves.

Lindiwe-Claudia Rennert ’14 and Jarvis K. Harris ’15 perform at the 2014 Eleganza Show on April 26 on the 20th anniversary of the charity fashion show in Lavietes Pavillion. By Shunella Grace Lumas

Identities, on the other hand, is a younger and more classic runway show. It’s a showcase of creativity and style centered around the Leadership of the Arts Award and is known for its inventive themes (this year’s is “Fashion + Technology”) and fancy VIP goody bags. In line with this year’s innovative theme, the show’s keynote speaker is Ivan Poupyrev, the team lead for Google's wearable tech launch “Project Jacquard.”

Harvard undergraduates strut down the catwalk of the annual Identities fashion show on Saturday evening in the Northwest Labs. Identities is a student-produced show founded in 2006 to showcase international designers from Paris to Japan. By Jennifer Y Yao

They do have similarities though.

Both shows, like everything at this college, are extremely selective—only those with the most symmetrical faces and hottest moves make the cut. Despite not favoring people without the swag of an American Apparel employee (#RIP we’ll miss you AA), Identities and Eleganza are still committed to diversity. Representatives from both shows recently discussed issues of representation and inclusivity during a town hall meeting.