All the World’s a Fashion Show

Nate: Why do women need so many bags?
Lilly: Shut up.
Nate: You have one. You put all your junk in it, and that’s it. You’re done.
Doug: Fashion is not about utility. An accessory is merely a piece of iconography used to express individual identity.
Lilly: Oh! And it’s pretty.
Doug: That too.

This dialogue from The Devil Wears Prada perfectly sums up fashion. For some people, fashion is their raison d’être. For others, clothes are just, well, clothes. On Saturday night the Fashion and Retail Association put on its semi-annual fashion show at the Photonics Center, where three BU designers showcased their work. Connecting students to the fashion industry through a variety of events and networking opportunities, the Fashion and Retail Association organizes three types of events: fashion shows, guest speakers, and New York trips. Their first fashion show of the year, titled La Nuit, was a chance for BU students to dress up and mingle.

While not as glamorous as New York Fashion Week and less competitive than Project Runway, La Nuit was a refreshing event that showed true talent among the designers and brought out some of BU’s most trendiest students.

Beginning the show was junior Ava Hashemi from Dubai. In keeping with the night’s theme, Ava’s dresses were formal wear with whimsy. Her designs were frothy concoctions, kind of like a strawberry frappuccino—sweet but not overwhelmingly so. Accompanying her clothes were beautiful leather clutches adorned with feathers, studs and vintage brooches. She definitely has an eye for sparkle and very romantic clothes.

Next up to walk the plank (literally) was freshman Alex Hough from Johannesburg, South Africa. Despite being the youngest of the three designers, her clothes were the most conservative. Her designs, all in black and white, seemed suitable for special events but also perfect for a younger crowd.

To close the brief but exciting show was Anna Shen from Ridgewood, New Jersey. Her collection of black attire, titled Variations on the Little Black Dress, was the most glamorous of the night. At once simple and stunning, her dresses were anything but boring black. I could see these dresses worn by celebrities–keep an eye on this one.

Once in a while it’s fun to dress up. La Nuit provided the perfect opportunity for the fashion-minded students and designers of BU to put down the books and feel all grown up. All three designers showed great promise and talent, and Boston is one step closer to knocking New York from the top of the fashion food chain.