Courtesy of Moises Chiquito ’24
With the spring semester almost halfway over, midterms on the clock, and spring break coming up, many students can’t wait for the fun that these next few months bring at Connecticut College. One event that has gained a lot of traction in the past few years and that will be taking place this April, is the People of Color Alliance’s (POCA) fashion show. As the third of its kind, this year’s show promises to be a special one, with the theme of “Roots the Bind” driving the designs.
POCA was established as an organization on campus in the spring of 2021. Their first annual fashion show took place in 2022, thematically titled “The Beauty in Culture.” That show took place in Cummings Art Center in early April, where it was well-attended and received rave reviews from students and faculty alike. The second show, titled “The Blueprint,” took place a year later with similar success. This year’s show promises to be particularly unique, however, with an abstract theme that alludes to both physical ties with the earth and the cultural and ethnic ties that bind people and societies, all of which will be communicated in the designs.
The POCA fashion shows are unique in that they are entirely student-produced, from the designers, to the models, to the makeup artists, and many more. The show is organized by POCA’s Executive Board, which features Lyndon Inglis ‘24, the POCA Event Coordinator and Founder. In anticipation of the show, he said, “I am thrilled for everyone to finally experience the culmination of months of dedication and hard work by many talented students since September. I hope that the show sets a tone of unity and healing that resonates long after the final model.”
The planning for the show started in the fall with an open call for anyone interested in participating in the show was posted to the event’s instagram page (@poca.fashionshow). Throughout the past few months, show preparation has included a number of rehearsals, fittings, and meetings. POCA held their third official rehearsal this past Saturday, Feb. 24. There, models practiced their walks and received feedback from e-board members and peers, reflective of the show’s student-organized nature. Much of the practice centered around walking to a variety of fast-paced music, with an emphasis on keeping good posture, a natural and relaxed gait, and walking in time with the beat. The environment was fun, encouraging, and reflective of the upbeat, engaging sort of event that the fashion show promises to be for the third year in a row.
The show’s RSVP list tends to fill up long before the show, so get your name on it today via POCA’s page on Connquest! They can also be found on instagram at @poca.conncoll and @poca.fashionshow, where they’ll continue to post teaser photos and other promotional material until the show’s date on April 7, 2024. The doors will open at 6:30 p.m. in the Cummings Art Center. As one of the most creative events all year on campus, uniquely showcasing a variety of student talent and passions for fashion, the third annual POCA fashion show is a must see event!
