Tornado warnings could not stop high fashion last night as the University’s Fashion, Inc. society put on the fourth annual Rock the Runway show, benefitting Charity: Water.
A last-minute location change from Woods Quad to Bryant Conference Center did not stop the crowd from pouring in to see the designs of 27 University of Alabama students.
Models traipsed the catwalk in everything from vintage-inspired to modern designs, country cute to nightclub chic, black to white and every color in between.
Fashion, Inc. president and designer Liz Lane, a senior majoring in apparel and textiles design, said despite the confusion of finding a new location and making sure everyone knew about the switch, the show went very well.
“It was crazy because all of our signs said Woods Quad,” she said. “So we had to make new ones to try and get the word out.”
But the show was meant to be more than just an excuse for Tuscaloosa’s fashion-forwards to wear high heels and bow ties.
“When we were putting this thing together, we really didn’t think it was going to be that good,” said Elizabeth Singleton, a junior majoring in apparel and textiles design who modeled a white lace top from Callie Smith’s collection. “But it turned out awesome, and it was a lot of fun.”
Singleton said she plans to design for next year’s Rock the Runway.
“It will be my senior year and I think it will be a real challenge,” she said.
Donations from the show are going to Charity: Water, an organization that builds a well in Africa for every $5,000 raised. Before the show, the University’s donations were at around $2,500. Lane said many people donated at the show, and she hopes they made their goal.
“I’m so proud of all the designers and models,” Lane said. “Everyone did such a good job. I’m really happy about that and that we’re giving back to the community as well.”
Maryalice Lazarus, a senior also majoring in apparel and textiles design, presented an entire collection inspired by Charity: Water, and the jerrycan, the container which people in impoverished places with no access to clean drinking water use to haul clean water back to their homes.
The collection featured bold statements in yellow and black, with exposed zippers and edgy silhouettes. Several of the models even carried jerrycans.
“I’m completely excited since every 10 dollars raised can give a person clean drinking water for 10 years,” said freshman Andrew Wash. He and his sister, Whitney, have been heading up the Charity: Water campaign at the Unvirsity. “We will definitely make our goal, one way or another. Not without prayer. We’ve been praying a lot.”
Whitney Wash said at the beginning of the fashion show that she and her brother have become very passionate about this cause because 1.1 billion people in the world lack access to clean drinking water. Even of those who use the jerrycans to bring water back, many times the water is too dirty to consume safely. Over 80 percent of diseases are caused by contaminated drinking water, Wash said.
If you missed out on Rock the Runway, it’s not too late to donate to Charity: Water. Visit mycharitywater.org/UA.
