Samantha McCartney
Staff Writer
An excited blur of voices could be heard walking into Selba Lounge on Cary Street, as fashion enthusiasts prepared for the Richmond Armada Intelligence Network’s (R.A.I.N) final fashion show for 2012 last Thursday night.
“R.A.I.N’s main goal as an organization is to give those who wouldn’t normally get a chance to show their work a chance to do so. We have fashion designers, models, advertising majors, web designers all working together and helping each other,” said Soraya Tischner, the show’s coordinator.
While anxiously waiting for the show to start, the style creativity of the audience members was noticeable. Some were fashionably dressed in accordance with the forty degree temperature outside, and some with no regard whatsoever to the weather.
There were two musical performances before the start of the show. Nick Storm sang a rendition of Lana del Rey’s “Video Games,” and Xavier Smith sang a few original songs after crooning out a few verses of “Stand by Me.”
The show began after a 45 minute delay, but, according to VCU sophomore Jazmyn Beauchan, this isn’t uncommon. “They’re running on fashion o’clock. Almost every fashion show starts a little bit late,” Beauchan said.
When the show started, the crowd was almost silent, except for the themed music playing in the background and an occasional shout of support for the designers. The crowd seemed focused on each individual piece shown.
Perhaps one of the most noticeable aspects of the show was that models did not have the traditional runway to walk. Instead, they were provided with two long narrow wooden blocks to strut down.
Designers’ collections varied with anywhere from Jatia Gregory’s bandeau tops and shorts with long panels of flowing fabric reminiscent of African tribal wear, to Uros Skoro’s complex use of a knitted, sweater-like material for not only the traditional sweater but for skirts as well.
R.A.I.N’s director and VCU alum Steven Ramirez produced the show, titled “Untamed Mammalian.”
“I wanted to get back to the basics. My original inspiration actually came from the very first fashion show we ever did where there was a large focus on the essentials of fashion,” Ramirez said. “Since this is the conclusion to a year of fashion shows, I thought it tied together nicely.”
Although all of the designers had a specific idea they wanted to convey through their collections, one brand titled “Safari” had a philanthropic purpose.
Contributing designer Dan Milam for the brand Safari said, “In terms of our logo, we usually just brainstorm ideas and come up with themes. We’re also really passionate about protecting endangered species of animals. It’s something we consider when we make our clothing.”