The Soul TV fashion show held on Friday, April 28 in the Student Union ballroom was a massive success, leaving crowds inspired and empowered.

Upon entering the venue, over 100 fashionable students waited for entry, sporting metallic shoulder bags, heavy sunglasses and knee-high slouchy boots. Many friend groups coordinated outfits and took pictures outside the ballroom in eager anticipation. The organizers softly lit the venue in warm lightning divided the space into organized sections, placing a candy-filled goody bag on each chair.

At the show’s start, the MC, Marco, set a lively tone and engaged the audience through his enthusiasm and charisma. He randomly selected audience members to rate their outfits and the answers became increasingly more confident. They progressed  from a “10”, to a “12/10”, to a final response of “off the charts.” He asked the selected students to spin and publicly display their looks, eliciting gasps of admiration from the crowd.

The fashion show then opened with models strutting down the runway in all black subversive looks with sleek black sunglasses. The choreography was immaculately planned, as models twirled and danced in synchrony through the arena, adjusting their pace to the beat of Beyonce’s “Renaissance” album. The show was separated into segments and looks were typically all black or had subtle pops of color. No details of the outfits were left unnoticed and the accessories -included sunglasses, caps or shoulder bags-paired nicely with the clothing.

It was fascinating to see the art in the designs and one look was especially notable: a transparent shimmery blouse with leather pants and an opaque face mask. The end of the show was marked by a streetwear section, which exuded a casual elegance. Models gracefully walked the runway in Jordans, pleated skirts and varsity jackets. Their clothes  seemed authentic to their true personal style. Soul TV e-board members closed the show and were met with enormous applause and cheers from the audience.

The talented dance group, Soul Sistas, also performed twice during the show. They heightened the excitement in the ballroom by dancing to female empowerment anthems by Nicki Minaj and Beyonce. The dancers, dressed in black trench coats and long red gloves, jumped and spun synchronously through the arena. Their ability to energize the audience was unparalleled and their performances were a crowd favorite.

Soul TV’s show was about uplifting not only the models but the entire student body. Audience members were invited to walk down the runway two separate times throughout the show. Friends held hands walking in sync to the beat of the music, pointing and blowing kisses to fellow audience members. Through this audience engagement, the show became an interactive and empowering experience.

When the show finally ended, students left smiling and murmuring in awe of the stellar performance they witnessed. The Soul TV Show was a massive hit and the crowd left feeling more confident than when they walked in.

Laleh Panahi can be reached at [email protected].