Mimicking travel across the globe, nations of the world united on the runway Friday evening at the Philippine Student Association’s eighth-annual fashion show.
This year’s show, “Passport Around the World,” highlighted fashion trends with a global twist, attracting hundreds of students and community members to the North Star Ballroom in the St. Paul Student Center.
Pairing glamour with geography, the exhibition featured a unique blend of multiculturalism. Each fashion show segment linked a clothing style with a country, and models paraded down the runway against a backdrop of music and dancing with regional distinction.
“We really wanted to do something to incorporate all of the world,” said Bahij Austin, president of the Philippine Student Association.
Beginning with New York, fashion models flaunted sleek trends in businesswear, while the stage above featured dancing to Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind.”
“We wanted to make it distinct, so the music was themed to New York,” said Eric Sumangil, 22, who choreographed that segment of the performance.
After New York, the show traveled east, progressing through the latest fashions in casual, club and formal clothing.
In addition to bringing countries together, the show also offered an opportunity for University students to become more involved in their community.
“It’s a great way to interact with each other,” said Christian Barcelon, a Philippine Student Association member and University freshman.
The final stop on the show’s itinerary was the Philippines, and the exhibition ended with a traditional performance of the Spanish-influenced dance Jota Pangasinana.
The exhibition was the result of a six-month collaboration among designers, choreographers and the student association, with clothing for the show provided by local businesses.
“We had a lot of help and support from the Filipino community,” Kristina Garcia, an association member who helped organize last year’s event.
“Every year it gets better,” she said.
Michael Krieger welcomes comments at [email protected]
