Wayne State Alpha Eta Chapter Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. is hosting its first fashion show, Rhoyal Winter Runway, on January 27. The event will showcase talented WSU students while highlighting Detroit designers and businesses.
Chapter President Ma’Taila Willis said she and Chapter Vice President India Pleasant came up with the idea for the show.
“(We) were thinking about another event we could organize after our gala centenary celebration and the thought of a big fashion show came up. We wanted to network with Detroit brands, so we decided to reach out to Detroit artists, models and businesses,” said Willis.
Pleasant said much of the vision for modeling and designing the clothing came from the idea of putting WSU students in the spotlight.
“We host this fashion show to uplift the students and community of Detroit by showcasing Detroit designers, with models from Wayne State as well as the entire community. We want to capture the beauty of a school that is a melting pot of talent,” Pleasant said.
The sorority recently held open auditions for models for a fashion show on January 13th and 14th, following an Instagram call on January 9th.
Model trainer Jotta Ziegler Jessie said she was responsible for helping the models get ready for the stage.
“I’m in charge of teaching the models, helping the models feel confident enough to walk the runway and really giving them a good direction to start, especially if they’re new. The advice I give to any model just starting out is to not worry about anyone else. When you’re on that runway, it’s your runway,” Jessie said.
Jessie said that the fashion show is a unique opportunity for many.
“One thing I love about this series is that it’s not harsh and gives people time to make mistakes and fix them. We have a lot of energy at training just to make everyone feel welcome. I want to be different,” said Jessie.
In addition to modeling, the show will also feature special guests Detroit artist Neisha Nesha and DJ Ice, founder of the Young Minds in Transition school tour, whose mission is to help empower youth in the greater Detroit area through media arts performances.
Pleasant said featured vendors will include a Greek clothing vendor, a cookie vendor and a beauty vendor, with more information coming soon.
The event will be emceed by Myles Hardy, known professionally as “Myles XDope,” who has worked with the sorority in the past to help put together events like last semester’s Centennial Ball.
Willis said she hopes the show will help unite the campus community.
“I hope this event brings the Wayne State community together with the amazing companies and brands that Detroit has to offer. The goal of the event is to celebrate the unique differences and I hope students and staff can enjoy the show, learn about the businesses the city has to offer and just relax a bit as we start the new year and semester,” she said.
The Rhoyal Winter Runway Fashion Show begins on January 27 at 7:22 PM in the Student Center Hall. Interested students can contact Alpha Eta via Instagram.
Admission is free for WSU students with OneCard and proof of registration. Guest tickets are $10 and sorority tickets are $7.
Madeline Beck is the arts and entertainment editor for The South End. You can reach her at [email protected]
Cover photo courtesy of Ma’Taila Willis.