UIW Showcases the Beauty of African and Afro-Caribbean Cultures at Annual Fashion Show
Photos by Carolina Aguilar
On Thursday, Feb. 27, UIW hosted its third annual African and Afro-Caribbean Fashion Show in the Student Engagement Center ballroom. UIW’s International Student and Scholar Services, Ettling Center for Civic Leadership and Sustainability and the African Student Organization (ASO) hosted this yearly event in celebration of Black History Month. Attendees were welcomed to this event to experience fashion, music and art from the African continent and African Caribbean cultures.
“The purpose of this fashion show is to authentically showcase African and Afro-Caribbean cultures,” said Kelsey Dwyer, international student immigration advisor. “It shows modern uses of traditional cloth and promotes Black fashion designers in our community.”
This year’s show featured designs from Nichelle Hosley, an award-winning interior designer and Interior Design Meets Fashion creator and show producer. Nichelle’s over 25 years of experience have helped her craft unique fashion events and design captivating interior spaces throughout her career. She was able to offer her expertise to make this year’s fashion show one that showcased diverse cultures and traditions through beautifully designed fashion garments.
“Nichelle is very creative, efficient and on top of her game,” noted Dwyer. “Having her expertise throughout the event's planning and execution was a great privilege.”
Dwyer noted that all University personnel involved wanted to provide access to culture, diversity and global engagement through this event. Thus, they were proud to collaborate with members of ASO, as achieving this goal would’ve been unobtainable without hearing the perspectives and insights of the students they serve.
“This event showed the different aspects of Black diaspora culture in terms of food, clothing and artistic pieces,” explained Daisy Ansah-Agyemang, ASO president. “Many students were enlightened by the experience and were even led to research their cultural roots and where they first came from. Black History is not a monolith of events, but of many different, intricate and bold cultural experiences. I am extremely grateful and overjoyed that we were able to portray African and Caribbean culture to the UIW student body.”
Ansah-Agyemang and other members of ASO supported the event by providing catering from local African and Caribbean restaurants Trices Cafe & Lounge and Real Real Jamaica. Additionally, they promoted the event by tabling, passing out flyers and even joining Hosley and her models on KENS 5’s GreatDaySA morning segment to encourage San Antonio members to attend the event.
The ballroom erupted into applauds and cheers as attendees witnessed models strutted down the runway in their vibrant fashions. Each design demonstrated a level of cultural significance and pride, as well as gorgeous artistic details woven into every thread.
The night was a beautiful display of community and diversity as members of the UIW community and local San Antonio area gathered to celebrate Black History Month through this annual event.