This past Saturday, Fashion for Change took the concept of Pandora’s box to the stage at the Hagey Hall Humanities Theatre, bringing to life the infamous themes of pride, pain, addiction, deception, and chaos, to name a few. Not only were they illustrated through the clothing, but through vivid imagery of colour, emotion, music, and dance. In addition to its own choreography, it featured dance groups Limelight and UW Hiphop.
The student-run, non-profit organization’s annual fashion show brought forth student-created collections that were up for auction and clothing sponsors from brands such as Gap and Bench — all of which were the result of several months worth of hard-earned dedication.
The proceeds of the fashion show goes to We Charity, which was formerly known as Free the Children, to support their “adopted village in Moyamba, Sierra Leone,” as the country is still recovering in the wake of civil war.
“There’s a lot of stuff that’s happening in the world that gets us upset,” said Biyanka Datta, Fashion for Change’s artistic director, “[Pandora] lets out all the evils in the world, but the truth is, there are always evils that are going to be there.” She explains that hope is the prevailing message.
Michelle Wong, the public relations director, added, “We do our part and focus on the pillar of education. As university students, that’s something that we value, and can sometimes take for granted.”
Over the years, Fashion for Change has already raised approximately $97,000. But, they aim to continue to provide classrooms and teachers with adequate, appropriate tools so that students may be offered the chance for better-quality education.
“We honestly couldn’t do it without any of these teams and all of us working together,” Wong said. Datta also agreed and clearly, the message of the show reflected this as well.
“No matter what happens, if we come together, we the people are the hope for the future.”
