Fine Arts Preview

Finally, spring is almost here. The sun will come back out and we won't have to wear that big-ass coat anymore. Girls will start wearing those tiny shorts and skirts we all love again. And we can go back to yelling about how unnecessary Ugg boots are - not that we ever stopped.

Even better are the new spring styles and fashions. And instead of waiting for your next fashion catalog with the same woman wearing every outfit, Bronze Elegance will present another option - a student-run fashion show.

Alice Lloyd Residence Hall's multicultural council MYSTIC (Multicultural Youth Striving to Incorporate Cohesiveness) is presenting its 28th annual Bronze Elegance fashion show this Saturday. The show comes in early spring for the student body and features a look into current fashion and style with a unique atmosphere - different students of various cultures, races and sizes serve as models dressed in the season's latest.

"The show was initially created to celebrate black culture," said Nursing sophomore Lauren Underwood, one of the show's consultants. "Later, they expanded it to celebrate all different cultures and diversity for the whole community."

With an incredible cultural presence, the show has sold out the past three years with more than 450 in attendance. "They take a diverse group of students who otherwise probably wouldn't have met, and force them to interact and make a tight connection on stage," model and LSA freshman Langston Kerman said.

What seems to be the show's most salient message is the presence of multiple cultures working together. The divergent issues confronting each separate social group are no longer important on the stage, and Bronze Elegance is refreshing in its incorporation of many different cultures into one cohesive performance. "(It's) being a part of a positive image of multiculturalism on campus, and it's a lot of fun," said LSA freshman Carl Jones-Schropshire, who is also a model in the show.

This year's theme is "Fashion of the Elements," with the four elements representing different styles. Air consists of different glamorous clothing such as gowns and formal wear. Earth presents the preppy look and business attire. Water is swimwear and fire is club clothing and lingerie. The show also includes a special designer section from the clothing line "Primp."

"We are incorporating all the elements of the earth to make a final product: a diamond," show manager and Alice Lloyd Resident Advisor Dominique Lee said. "This translates into diversity by showing that all of us added together creates a beautiful thing called harmony."

The show will also attempt to break down the constraints on what's considered beauty and fashion. "Fashion is a great avenue for Bronze Elegance to build community among differences on campus," Lee said. "By using all shapes, sizes and colors we are able to give a different view of what a model is."

"The show challenges what the media portrays as beauty," she said. "We are able to show over 450 people the beauty of diversity."

Bronze Elegance
Saturday at 8 p.m.
$10-$15 at Michigan Union Ticket Office

At the Michigan Union Ballroom