Saturday morning is a time to share all your crazy stories from the night before with friends, Facebook, and the rest of the world, whatever be the means. But last Saturday morning UOttawa found itself without much to say. Why you might ask? Because everyone was at the same party the night before! Last Friday night Her Campus UOttawa hosted an epic Fashion Show raising money in support of the Lupus Foundation, and raising the bar for all future campus events.
Before we get to the runway, let’s look first at why this event’s success is so important. Lupus is an autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system becomes hyperactive and attacks healthy tissue. This condition is 9 times more prevalent in women than men, and affects individuals most typically between the ages of 15 and 45. And on Friday, we here at UOttawa made it our goal to Strut Away Lupus.
Now to fashion! The night was filled with it before the models even hit the runways; the guests were dolled up in their best dresses (or best dress shirts for the gents), and looking fabulous in anticipation of the glamour of the evening. After arriving guests had their photos taken in the photo booth, and some lucky individuals even had the opportunity to snap a picture alongside special guests Marilyn Monroe and James Dean (though looking somewhat thinner and more paper-like than in their better days).
After mingling, eating, and digging through the goodie bags, the music trailed off and guests got settled in their seats as hosts Nicolette Addesa and Michael Wong climbed the stage. The mood was fun and laid back as they cracked jokes and fun facts about the designers and entertainers hitting the stage.
First up were styles by Gwen Madiba, local designer and founder of I AM FASHION. Starting out bold with a striped, winged dress, and ending with a gorgeous, flowing, black and red dress that brought images of tango dancers floating down the runway to mind, we were kept ooh-ing and aw-ing throughout.
Following were designs by Pascal Gagnon, American Apparel, Fossil and Adorit Boutique (a fair trade, eco-fabric boutique located on York St. in the Byward Market!).
Another highlight of the night was musical performer, Steffany, who blew us all away. Her rendition of I Will Always Love You literally brought tears to my eyes, and just moments later she had people up on their feet dancing to her cover of Adele.
And finally the night ended with a raffle where one lucky gentleman went home with a gorgeous purse full of Sephora cosmetics! (Or rather, one lucky girlfriend) Altogether $1523.22 was raised to support lupus research! Amazing!
Speaking with Nicolette Addesa (who not only co-hosted the event, but spearheaded the organization of the whole fashion show along with the rest of the events and marketing team) about how she felt the event went, she said, “Everyone loved the fun feel of the night, I’m just happy that people laughed at my cheesy jokes!”
With consensus in (and pictures out, you can see them here on Shaughnessy’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.495238323847130&type=1), everyone agrees that the Fashion Show was a massive hit! Now that everyone on campus has a taste for what Her Campus UOttawa is all about, the student body will undoubtedly be eagerly awaiting whatever is in store next.