Fashion club debuts with runway event
Muhammadnur Kozimkhonov already dresses like every day is a fashion show. On Oct. 16, he got to walk the runway for real in the Back Alley and walked away with third place.
Kozimkhonov was one of 23 students who walked in the Fashion Society of Augustana’s (FSA) first ever event held with the Union Board of Governors (UBG) — a “Dress to Impress” competition.
Kozimkhonov sashayed down the red carpet in the first portion of the competition where participants could model outfits they created from garments they owned.
He wasn’t initially planning to compete in the event, however.
“I wanted to just watch and see how other people were walking through the corridor, maybe get inspiration from their fits,” Kozimkhonov said. “But while I was sitting there my friend AJ told me I had to go for the individual [competition], and a lot of people told me, ‘Yeah you gotta try it.’”
Senior Hannet Sedlak used the event as an opportunity to model her culture through her wardrobe.
Sedlak wore a white skirt paired with a top woven from an old Somali dress her aunt made. She donned jewelry made from Somali shells, a necklace made from seeds in her village and face paint inspired by village tattoos.
“A lot of our traditional stuff doesn’t get worn because it feels as though it’s only for special occasions,” Sedlak said. “I really love trying to incorporate it in any outfit I wear to make sure my heritage feels very close to me.”
Sophomore Hadassah Mbiyu also took the opportunity to strut her stuff wearing pieces with a symbolic importance to her.
Mbiyu wore a blue jumpsuit with a red corset and red turban. Mbiyu’s mother bought her the jumpsuit two years ago before she left Kenya for college in the United States. She hasn’t seen her mom since, and she said it serves as a connection point between the two.
Her friend had gifted her the corset she wore, and she noted that the turban acts as a sort of crown.
“I chose this outfit because I wanted to bring a piece of who I am to the stage, and what Africa is in a different light,” Mbiyu said.
Following the individual portion, groups of three to five people got together to create an outfit in a limited amount of time with preselected pieces in a competition similar to the Roblox minigame Dress to Impress.
During the group portion, Kozimkhonov served as the model for his team “Almost Dior.” He waltzed down the runway with a bright red shirt buttoned only at the top button, as well as a pair of sunglasses and a silvery belt lent to him by his teammate Katie Van Zee.
FSA and UBG worked with Augustana Theatre’s costume designer Cindy Bakke to secure costume pieces that matched clothing from the 70s and 80s as well as Augie Thrift to obtain more garments.
FSA and UBG also worked with Gabby Morales, a senior and CEO of the LGBTQ-centered non-profit Rainbow Project Sioux Falls to get prizes for the winners, including a men’s perfume kit, a bedazzling set, and a massager.
Mamo said he was pleased with how the event turned out.
“It gave me confidence in our ability to create a space for students to express themselves through fashion and see themselves in a different light or create a persona they can embody and celebrate,” Mamo said.
Mamo and Benjamin hope to get a fashion or textile program started, but for now they want to increase fashion awareness and self-expression on campus as they grow their membership.
