Vogue In Living Color: Fashion Meets West

Samira Barnett

The Vogue Academy, a fashion organization at UWG, made its mark at the annual fashion show on April 16. Numerous entrepreneur-owned clothing businesses were featured throughout the show. 

Around 6:30 p.m. the doors to the Campus Center ballroom opened and interviews with the line of models were conducted on the red carpet. The two hosts, Rique and Sarah, started the show with a chill, upbeat mixtape playing.

General admission and VIP seats totaling 200 were all sold out. William Jackson, president of The Vogue Academy, and organizer of In Living Color, was particularly thrilled to present this show with the world. They began preparing for the show and began walking sessions on Aug. 2022. 

“These are my babies, they have been working hard,” said Jackson.

The show started off slow and sweet, with R&B playing in the background and a spotlight shining on one of the models to capture the audience’s attention. There was a chill somber vibe before introducing an upbeat, icon style into the mix. 

Throughout the performance, the styles transitioned from a sexy old school hip 2000s outfit to rich and unique streetwear. Living in Color fused R&B and beauty with both old and new school elements. The old school is reminiscent of the snapback era. Furthermore, each style brought its own distinct perspective to the show, making this viewing experience exceptional.

During intermission in the middle of the show, refreshments were served to those seated in VIP. They also acknowledged other entrepreneurs and businesses in the audience who wanted to introduce themselves. This included companies in the cosmetics, culinary and clothing industries. 

Along with business, two local artists, Tee (Terrance) Gaines and Xo Mia, performed one of their singles for the audience, giving them a taste of what their music is about. You can follow @tee_gainess and @lliyahxo on Instagram to stay up to date on new releases.

A nice addition to the show was the poem broadcasted on the loudspeakers during an interpretive dance performance, emphasizing the importance and beauty of remaining confident in the face of adversity. This illustrated the uplifting, upbeat attitudes the models brought to the clothing.

Although the majority of the models had walked in fashion shows before, they were all eager to showcase their hard work to the audience. Additionally, the majority of models wish to pursue careers in modeling or other aspects of the fashion industry. On the other hand, some decided to take part in the show in order to gain more confidence and come out of their shells.

The models gave the audience a confident and exquisite finish with attire that was both sexy and seductive. Some of the work featured included Blessed Brands (CEO Eric Jackson), PlayaCartel, Bodied Brand and many others. Their products are available to view at @bodiedbrandd, @blessedbrandclothing_ and @playacartel.

The show concluded with one of the models, Shianne Moon, who is also a singer, performing her new song, “For My Growth,” which will be released in her upcoming album “Blue Moon.” It will be accessible across all platforms. 

Vogue In Living Color took the audience on a sensual and iconic journey that left a long-lasting impression on UWG. As The VogueAcademy continues to grow as an organization, it is inevitable that next year’s show will be legendary.