Fashion for Change celebrated its 14th year by holding the largest student run fashion show in Waterloo region on March 23, in partnership with the Kitchener Waterloo (KW) Humane Society. The show took place in the late afternoon and evening at the Humanities Theatre in Hagey Hall. Tickets were $7 for students and $10 for general admission, with all proceeds going to the KW Humane Society.
The theme “Spun from Gold” immersed the audience in a world of fashion and fantasy, exploring themes such as love, passion and determination. The designers and choreographers created a re-telling of six fairy tales, amongst them Hercules, Mulan, Peter Pan, the Snow Queen, Beauty and the Beast, and Alice in Wonderland.
Janessa Tang, president of Fashion for Change, said there were plenty of new faces and fresh ideas this year. “I hope that attendees feel a sense of nostalgia when they see their childhood fairytales,” she said. Tang noted that the team has been planning since September, and hopes that the audience experiences all the emotions that come with each fairy tale.
Sanjana Gandhi, vice president of Fashion for Change, noted that the organization started in 2010, when a group of students wanted to bring fashion and art together to bring change in the community. The organization has raised more than $130,000 since its inception.
The show opened with a Hercules dance scene choreographed by Yusra Khan and designed by James Hulme. Hulme was inspired by the story of Hera and took a 70s twist when designing the looks. Mulan was next, designed by Stella and choreographed by Kimberly Gao. Stella incorporated elements of traditional Chinese clothing and modern clothing in her designs. The Peter Pan scene was choreographed by Ashleen Sandhu and designed by Anika Rao Srinivasan. The dance scene was meant to show Wendy’s journey and her love for Peter Pan.
After intermission, The Snow Queen scene began and was quite magical and nostalgic. The dance scene was choreographed by Natalie Testart and designed by Marine Vandame. Vandame focused on the feminine aspect of each character for her looks.“The Snow Queen was portrayed as the villain because society never liked that she was an independent woman,” she said. The Beauty and the Beast dance scene was choreographed by Marie Blue and designed by Simon Xu. The dance scene was inspired by a modern day love triangle between the Beast, Belle, and Gaston. The Alice in Wonderland dance scene was choreographed by Ashleen Sandhu and Gao. The scene showcased the darker concepts in the fairy tale that we don’t usually see in the books. The show ended with an exceptional dance scene.
