Sisters on the Runway (SotR), in its UMass incarnation, put on a fashion show of glamorous proportions to help raise awareness and money for victims of domestic violence. All the proceeds raised from the show were donated to Safe Passage, a shelter for domestic abuse victims in Northampton.

Upon entering the auditorium, a red carpet was laid out for photo shoots with the models and students involved. Photographers gathered around the carpet and in front of the runway, which ran from the main stage down the middle of the auditorium. About 10 rows of chairs were lined up facing the runway on either side and a roped-off section for event VIPs was directly in front of the runway.

A purple rubber SotR bracelet, Safe Passage awareness pamphlet and SotR informational flyer rested on each seat for audience members. A table of baked goods and water stood by the entrance of the auditorium and attracted much attention before the show.

Just after 6:30 p.m., Sae Bluff entertained the eager crowd with a hula-hoop performance. Bluff danced to several hip-hop songs by DJ Loo, as she hooped her way down the runway. The lights went out halfway through her dance and her hoop lit up with multi-colored hues, as Bluff performed for 15 minutes.

At 7 p.m., the co-ed dance team Dhadak Fusion took the stage, spicing things up by rocking shimmery orange tops. The dance show ran for 10 minutes.

With stragglers still filing into the auditorium, co-presidents Kaelyn Siversky and Alissar Taremi greeted the crowd at 7:45 p.m., as the two gracefully thanked supporters and all those involved in SotR.

Safe Passage representatives Kim and Dawn followed up Siversky and Taremi at the microphone. After thanking the audience for their support, Kim said a few words:

“Passions are great, and passions are horrific, and our very reason for being an organization is that horrific passion that turns into domestic violence,” said Kim. She continued on to say, “Our job at Safe Passage is to empower anyone who has experienced domestic violence.”

Dawn shared her personal experience with domestic violence, telling the crowd that she was in an abusive marriage for 10 years before escaping, and stated that she has been free of abuse for 12 years now.

Dawn concluded her speech by stating the shocking fact that, “one-in-four women is affected by domestic violence in every community.”

As the lights dimmed and the music blared, the 17 SotR models strutted down the runway one by one. Each of the models looked beautiful with styled hair, perfect make-up and chic accessories. The fashions worn were from Ode, Monella, Zanna, Oonas, LEERA, Asos, Tommy Hilfiger, Lauren Engler, Clinton Stone, Urban Exchange, Ultra Gal, Wendy’s Closet, The Hempest, The Mercantile and Liz Eddy.

The models wore mostly dresses and skirts paired with heels, but also rocked pants, shorts and even bikini tops.

Ode presented a variety of fashions, kicking off with a glamorous, sparkly dress and bejeweled heels. Other outfits from Ode included dark skinny jeans and a tan T-shirt paired with a white blazer, a belted romper and a flow-like grey tube-top dress.

The first outfit from Monella was a beautiful and daring bright orange tube wrap dress matched with orange jeweled earrings and gold heels, as Monella featured two other dresses in the show. Also featured by the clothing line were a cargo skinny pant, button-up shirt and green vest outfit.

Oonas kept things springy with floral, bright patterns. One model wore a black, red, green and orange flowered dress matched with a tan fedora and black heels. The hat was a nice touch, as many of the other clothing lines involved went without them.

Every piece donated from the student-run line, LEERA, was easily categorized as club wear. The dresses were mostly black, tight and short, paired with gold beaded necklaces or scarves. One of the models wore a cropped black jacket with big gold buttons that served as a nice cover-up.

Asos mixed things up with a variety of fashions, including navy blue velour cropped pants, ruffles and animal prints. A zebra print, silky halter dress stood out among Asos’ other outfits with its unique length somewhere between the model’s toes and knees.

Tommy Hilfiger donated many outfits to the show, ranging from dresses to pants suits and cotton tees. Most of the conservative fashions were plainer colors with collared necks.

Lauren Engler designed one of the hottest outfits of the show. The model wore a short sleeve black see-through top with a black sequin design on one side paired with skintight pale jeans. With a black bra underneath and heels, the scene easily resembled that of a high fashion show.

Ultra Gal clothing showcased a purple see through belly shirt with matching baggy purple pants, similar to that of a belly dancer’s costume. The outfit was decked out with gold sequins and straps, officially one of the most daring pieces of the show.

From The Hempest were summery pieces, like a colorful and sparkly triangle bikini top matched with green cropped pants. The Mercantile followed suit with a somewhat risqué outfit consisting of a purple bra, belly chain, flowy skirt and high heels.

The fashion show ended by 8:45 p.m., as all the models walked the runway one last time together. Taremi and Siversky followed, leading to a standing ovation from the crowd. With the size of the crowd and the satisfied cheers, Safe Passage was surely pleased with the outcome.

Kate Evans can be reached at [email protected].