The Black Student Union hosted its annual "Black Explosion" fashion show at the Buffalo Convention Center on Feb. 15, showcasing clothing from 11 different designers, two of which are UB students.
According to Adia Jordan, activity coordinator for BSU, Black Explosion was started five years ago and is held the second or third week of February. She said attendance has grown considerably since the first event in 1999.
"People wanted another type of event to have fun at," Jordan said. "We decided, 'Why not do a fashion show?'"
Doniesha Goodings, a junior communication major, said the event is always among the highlights of her year.
"It gets better every year," Goodings said. "I go home with the biggest smile on my face."
Featuring designers from both the local and New York City areas, Jordan said the event is a way for designers to show off their latest fashions. Jordan said the event's 40 models are all students from UB, Daemon College and Buffalo State College.
This year, the designs varied greatly, from urban wear by designer Rich Po to swimwear designed by Bathhouse to formal wear from Tuxedo Junction and Jewel Shannon.
When dinner began at 7:30 p.m., it was obvious that most attendants had paid attention to the event flier's "dress to impress" rule. The convention hall was filled with women wearing elegant evening gowns and men dressed in suits.
The show began at 8:15 p.m. Just about every seat surrounding the stage was filled, and by the end of the evening, the event was standing room-only, since the walls were lined with audience members and participants.
The fashion show began with Jordan and Michael Jeanniton, an exercise science major, singing the Black National Anthem.
The show's hostess, "Miss Asya Black," a Mary J. Blige-inspired drag queen, appeared on stage for a small pre-show performance. The convention hall was filled with cheers and applause as Black made her way down the runway.
As her performance continued, Black began removing articles of clothing, much to the delight of the audience, which cheered louder with each piece removed. When Black's show was over, she was left wearing a tank top and jeans.
"Are you ready for some fashion tonight?" Black asked the crowd. From the response, the answer was yes.
Elijah Rasi, a designer for the Independent Urban Clothing Company, said he was excited about showcasing at the Explosion because his clothing is targeted at the students in attendance.
"The college market is a big market," Rasi said.
The event also featured live performances by local rap group "H-Cide," which played during the display of fashions by "Ariel," one of two UB student designers.
Ariel, who designs racy clothing for women, drew many cheers from the crowd. Some of the models, donning sport jerseys cut into tube tops and hot pants, had to hold the tops together with their hands. Some models chose not to use their hands at all, inciting people to run up to the side of the runway to snap photographs.
"Guess I'm going to have to teach those girls how to use some spray adhesive," Black joked after Ariel's display.
"Tosha," the other UB student designer, showcased fashions based on knitwear colored in earth tones.
Jewel Shannon's fashions marked the show's finale, featuring jeweled formal wear emphasizing the color red.
Mark Kingpayom, a senior geography and information systems major, said Jewel Shannon's designs were the best of the evening.
"Red is sexy, and so are jewels," Kingpayom said. "I have never had so much fun at a UB event. I like to surround myself with diverse cultures and try new things."
Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
