In the past, Fashion’s Conscience has featured only student designers, hosts and DJs. But this year members of the student organization decided to take things up a notch by hiring professionals.

“I think that’s more inspiring to people on campus,” said Alexis Acuna, a senior psychology major and the club’s creative relations director. “I think people take FC a lot more seriously this year because of the way we’ve handled things.”

Fashion’s Conscience, a campus organization dedicated to promoting multiculturalism through fashion and shedding light on minorities in the fashion industry, will host its annual fashion show Saturday at 7 p.m. in Goldstein Auditorium. Lawrence Jackson, a Syracuse University alumnus and on-air host at REVOLT, will host the show, and rapper Ty Dolla $ign will perform at the event.

The show will feature pieces from Made in June by Natalie Grace, E’qouta, Lindsay Morse, V V Patchouli and Coco & Breezy eyewear.

“I’m really excited to see it in person… Finally being able to touch (the clothes) is going to be amazing,” said Telsha Anderson, a senior communications and rhetorical studies major and president of FC.

Telsha Anderson said the theme of this year’s show, Ministry of Monochrome, is inspired by the most prevalent trends seen on celebrities, specifically wearing different shades of the same color together, and the fashion industry’s current love affair with minimalism and simplicity.

“If you go on Tumblr that’s pretty much all you see,” said Nia Anderson, a senior economics major and FC’s vice president. “It’s super in right now, and it’s classic. We wanted to keep it kind of clean and minimal.”

As a precursor to the show, FC is hosting The Sartorial Panel on Thursday at 6 p.m. The panel includes several fashion powerhouses such as Shaun Ross, the first male albino model, Law Roach, best known as actress Zendaya Coleman’s stylist, sunglass designers Coco & Breezy and VFILES DJ Champion and fashion designer Gianni Lee. They will be discussing their careers and lives in the fashion industry.

“Our goal for the panel is for the audience to learn about different professions within the fashion industry that is not just being a fashion designer or a model,” said Karen Lopez, a senior economics major and FC’s business relations chair.

The group started brainstorming possible themes, designers and artists last summer. Each member was required to reach out to at least two designers, and members of the e-board were able to use their personal connections and some research to get in contact with the designers and panelists.

“We like to talk with our adviser about who we can bring based on our funding — who do we think the general body would love? Who do we think our members would love? And then we find their contact information,” said Telsha Anderson.

Nia Anderson said social media played a big part in the development and promotion of the entire showcase. The group browsed through Tumblr for inspiration for the theme and their mood boards and has been using Instagram to promote and build anticipation for the show.

“The main thing was getting the word out there,” JaLisa Vaughn, FC’s technology and public relations chair and a senior information management and technology major, said. “In the past few years the timing and the date of the show was always conflicting with something else big or finals week. So a huge thing for us was to pull people in.”

To further enhance the experience, FC has partnered with The Honor Role, a college lifestyle network created by SU students, to host a pre-show red carpet segment where the best-dressed attendees will be interviewed and photographed.

Nia Anderson said she hopes next year’s show will be bigger and better. She also hopes that current and new members will work to increase the organization’s reach.

“We want everyone to know about us. Just how people go to Howard’s homecoming we want people to come to FC’s show,” she said. “We want people to start traveling for us.”

Published on March 24, 2015 at 10:41 pm