Through the “Our Fashion Blueprint” theme, the annual Color Me Kentucky Fashion Show highlighted fashion as well as students’ creativity and planning.
Organized and led by students in the Department of Retailing and Tourism Management, the fashion show was held in the Gatton Student Center ballrooms on April 16.
“We want to represent the students as an important creative vehicle for our program. So we want to highlight the creativity and the planning and the work that our students do to put on an event like this,” Department of Retailing and Tourism Management associate professor Scarlett Wesley said. “Having it at the Student Center allows us to really showcase how special UK is in the opportunities they offer students.”
Co-anchor of Live from Chevy Chase on FOX56 and master of ceremonies Leigh Jordan said people are used to going to Memorial Coliseum, the Kentucky Proud Park and the Kroger Field to celebrate sports, so having the Color Me Kentucky event on campus is an opportunity to recognize other programs.
“You’re spreading the arts. You’re encouraging other people who may not know anything about art or fashion,” Kim Vogelpohl, art teacher and mother of one of the students in the clothing and model team, said. “I have my father-in-law and my husband coming, which would never have gone to anything artsy.”
Featuring “Shut Up and Drive” by Rihanna and “Sports Car” by Tate McRae, models walked on the runway with different outfits, including blue and white pompoms, baseball hats, blue dresses and white boots to represent UK’s Game Day attire.
“I see more things to add to my closet for the season coming on,” co-anchor of Live from Chevy Chase on FOX56, master of ceremonies Tamara Schneider said.
Models used vivid colors and different textures to represent the spring. With songs like “The Sweet Escape” by Gwen Stefani and “Man I Need” by Olivia Dean, students wore yellow and orange dresses, boots, a white dress with soft pink florals, a brown fringe shoulder bag, a suit, floral dresses and gold shoes.
The third category was Keeneland, “our pride and joy here in the state of the Bluegrass,” according to Schneider. Students walked with different colors and sizes of Derby hats, a floral blazer, a brown purse, a light blue vintage dress, pearl drop earrings, a yellow dress, white heels, neck scarves, cowboy boots and pink heels.
The formal wear featured different suits, a long green dress with a shimmering top, a long red dress with a corset bodice and a sparkling fringe dress.
Wearing a floor-length pastel pink gown with a structured corset bodice and off-the-shoulder straps, Mia Daniels, a criminal justice sophomore who walked on the runway, wanted to spread the message to be confident and trust themselves.
“It’s OK to go out there and feel yourself, and that’s what the fashion show was,” Daniels said. “It was a way for us to express our confidence and just be able to showcase the art piece and a work that a lot of people took the time.”
Public policy junior Keijuan Pryor said the Color Me Kentucky is a great opportunity to showcase what students from other colleges are doing and their passion.
“The main takeaway (of the event) would just be that anyone should feel like they can do anything and that you should be empowered to do whatever you want … You can do anything that you put your mind to,” Pryor said. “You’re making a difference and you’re definitely a part of a community.”