Tuesday, Rebuild Tuscaloosa, The House of Perna and The University of Alabama’s House of éprouver hosted “Runway for Relief,” a fashion show to raise proceeds for those affected by the April 27, 2011, tornado. The show was held in the Ferguson Center Ballroom and included a fashion show, a raffle and a live auction for the designs.
The show included designs by Virginia Brown, Vault Denim Tuscaloosa and Tracy Negoshian. Also included were the designs of three members of House of éprouver and student designers – LaQuoya Robinson, Kerstin Brown and Janeishia “Byrd” Stewart, – as well as Alabama alum and “Project Runway” Season 9 contestant, Amanda Perna. It was hosted by Leah Bromley, founder of Rebuild Tuscaloosa and included special guest Katherine Webb, Miss Alabama USA 2012, who also served as a model in the show.
The event was decorated similarly to a prestigious fashion show in New York City. The University’s RipTide Dance Team also provided a hip-hop dance performance prior to the opening of the show.
The theme of most of the designs was “Alabama Game Day Attire.” The designs ranged from casual shorts and tank tops to dresses, skirts and high-waisted pants, all with elements of red, black, grey and houndstooth print.
Perna’s designs displayed bright colors such as bright blue and pink and included a formal dress modeled by Miss Alabama.
This event was a first for Kerstin Brown, a junior majoring in fashion retail, and she said it definitely met her expectations.
“I liked seeing everyone else’s designs and seeing what everyone else’s flavor was,” Brown said. “What they took out of the whole ‘Bama Gear’ idea.”
Although many of the models came from an agency, several of them were UA students.
“It was really exciting to get our hair and makeup done,” Carrie Morris, a model and freshman majoring in finance and criminal justice, said. “They taught us how to walk and how to stand.”
The event was open to the public and had a variety of ages, from UA students to adults, all coming out to support the designers and models. The students who attended seemed to enjoy the taste of the fashion world they got from the event.
“I’d never been to a fashion show before and I got to see what one would be like,” Rachel Ramey, a freshman majoring in civil engineering, said. “I think it’s good that UA offers events like this because you get a chance to see things you wouldn’t normally see.”
