This year’s annual fashion show “Nostalgia”, brought students back in time with the ‘90s and early 2000s themed event. The production wrapping up this year’s Homecoming festivities was unlike any other, as the event was planned in under a week.
“They ate that, especially because they were given so little time to prepare and you wouldn’t even notice,” senior public relations LaShun O’Rear said.
The show featuring 12 designers, including well-known brand, Timberland began coordination last week, once news of an in-person homecoming was set to be taking place. The fashion show coordinators are usually given at least three months to prepare but were pushed into a time crunch due to the uncertainties of Homecoming with new COVID-19 protocols.
Howard University senior and 1867 Undergraduate Assistantship Program, Vice Chairwoman, Hannah Childress was tasked with curating the event in less than a week. However, once beginning preparation, Childress was focused on “just doing the work” and creating a staff for the show’s success.
“I took everything out of my budget as far as whatever the models needed. I can be reimbursed. I just needed the show to be good,” said Hannah Childress, the fashion show curator, and senior TV & Film major. “No one needs to know what happens backstage, we just need to put a show on that stage, and that’s what we did.”
The theme “Nostalgia” under Howard’s Homecoming, “Remember the Times,” gave students a bit of everything from 90’s inspired jean-based designs to the early 2000’s tracklist that set the tone.
“Nostalgia was perfect because it’s broad. Nostalgia is whatever you feel is nostalgic to you. The 2000’s, the ‘90s, the ‘80s. It gave us a lot of wiggle room and the space for everything you’ve seen tonight,” Childress said.
This year’s fashion show showcased a majority of Howard student-owned brands with one major designer label, Timberland, due to the lack of time available for outreach. Designers in the show were Timberland, Asa Jean, Tayst Designs, DRH Designs, The Lex Index, DeVouR, HUBANE, INSIGNIA MSA, Guerison Globale, S.A.D.B.O.I., DEViURi, and Sterre Peyton.
“This was my first time showing my work at a Howard Fashion Show. I had to do this one because it was a dream of mine when I was a freshman. It felt good being able to give back to my school because this is my art, and I’m sharing it with other people, Ahmad Williams, the designer behind DEViURi, said.
The performer for the show was Nikki Jayy, a singer, songwriter, rapper and senior legal communications major at Howard. Once hearing about the show, she reached out to one of the coordinators to perform and received confirmation of her slot a few hours later. The singer had four days to prepare for the show and arrived in D.C. from New York the morning of the performance.
“It’s been my number one accomplishment this year to perform at Homecoming. Homecoming is a big family event for me. It’s great seeing all the beautiful Black faces. It’s literally the best time of year. It’s love, entertainment, and Black beauty,” Nikki Jayy said.
In the final moments of the show, Mr. and Ms. Howard, Ronald Carter and Iesha Daniels, both took the time to acknowledge student voices and emphasized the good that can come from “good trouble”.
“We are going to ensure that our voices are always on the frontline. We hear you, we see you, and we are with you. And remember good things come from good trouble,” said Daniels and Carter.
After the event, Daniels emphasized that the Royal Court has been in talks with different coordinators of Homecoming events for the last week and decided that the final event of Homecoming would be the best time to give a statement.
