School’s in session

With the red carpet rolled out, four giant revolving spotlights illuminating the night sky and throngs of stylish youth crowding the Siegel Center doors, the 2nd Annual STRUT Fashion Show kicked off with a bang Friday night.

Inside, the robust audience was split in half by a nearly 40-yard long runway where VCU student models exhibited the latest in Richmond style.

From summer dresses to two-piece suits, leather purses to baseball hats and plaid shorts to a necklace sporting a large metallic “6,” the night’s clothing selection proved diverse. Everything displayed by the show’s 44 models, meanwhile, was pulled from Richmond stores and is currently on sale at retailers in Carytown, Short Pump, Stony Point and other local shopping districts.

“We’ve got some hot clothes right here in Richmond, you don’t have to go too far if you just look,” said show director Kelli Lemon, assistant director of programs and events at VCU. “I think we always just blow it off, saying we can go to D.C., we can go to New York, we can go to LA, or Atlanta, but really we can stay here in Richmond.”

Apparel from 12 retailers was featured, including Adrienne Vittadini, Lava and Solstice, as well as VCU student Joannah Nwokeabia. Each modeling segment presented one retailer and designer and an assortment of the clothes they offer.

The show loosely followed a day at the fictional International School of Strut, where secretary Faith Wilkerson welcomed the audience and class by reciting the Strut Pledge of Allegiance.

Interspersed within traditional scenes of models walking the runway, the theme continued with vocal performance major Kim Fox belting out “Hot Lunch” a cappella, a grouchy janitor slowly shifting across the stage with mop and bucket, and at one point a note flirtatiously passed between two models.

“Last year it was very basic, it was generic, we just called it STRUT and introduced the brand,” Lemon said. “This year we decided to put a theme to it so that if your father, your uncle, or your grandma who does not care about fashion came to the show they would have a good time.”

Further spicing up the night was an introductory video documenting the 2005 show, the Richmond Boys Choir and The Dream Team singing several songs and a performance from the VCU School of Dance including a short chair dance.

“I liked it. I liked the music,” photography major Jacquelyne Pierson said. “The girl models were better, they were struttin’. The guys were too stiff.”

Some, however, didn’t find too much value in what they saw.

“It really didn’t impress me,” said junior and small business operation major Travon Mason. “The models just looked like they were trying too hard. They were galloping; weren’t synchronized. Ain’t no flavor.”

The Fashion Show itself was part of the larger Fashion Week, also put on by the International School of Strut, featuring Movie Makeover Monday, Walk Off Wednesday, and a panel discussion with fashion industry entrepreneurs.

At one point in the week the School of Strut made a mysterious advertising move by positioning several models in the University Student Commons, each striking various poses as statues for passing students to watch.

“I think we’ve drawn a lot of attention to ourselves,” fashion merchandising major and model Rebecca Brown said of STRUT’s attempts to draw publicity. Brown said he thinks that doing so paid off in a high attendance and hopes to one day put on her own fashion show in the future.

The STRUT organizing committee began planning and organizing this year’s installment in April of 2005, shortly after the first show. Other than Lemon, all of the event’s coordinators were VCU students.

“People don’t know how much work really goes into planning something like this,” said Justin Brooks Castonguay, a fashion merchandising junior, committee member, and backstage coordinator. “I think with the focus on both the fashion week and the fashion show, 100 percent didn’t go into both, so you didn’t get a ‘bam’ for each thing as it should have been. I think we should have waited on fashion week until we had perfected a really bangin’ show.”

Still, many involved felt the night’s execution left little to be desired.

“I think it went really well,” sophomore model Julia Lord said. “Compared to last year, it was more put together. The models were more amped. Everyone was more excited.”

For Lord, the crowd’s loud cheers made the biggest difference.

“The adrenaline rush on the runway is amazing,” Lord said. ” It’s the best feeling I’ve ever had.”

In the end, Lemon’s goal for the show was for students to get experience and have fun.

“We just wanted to create an event where everybody could get their hands into something. They’re gonna turn around and put this on their resum