A-State Evolve and the African Students Association showed their creativity and remembered the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Movement in the Evolve fashion show Friday. 

Evolve is a student organization promoting minority creativity and leadership. 

This year’s fashion show was completely student-run, as opposed to previous years where the campus and community ran it. This is also the first time the African Students Association has worked with Evolve. 

“The African Students Association is so smart, they’re so kind. They were willing to teach us everything we needed to know to help them as much as we could,” said Evolve president Kellie Dukes, a junior exercise science major from Marion, Arkansas. “It ended up being a great portion of the show and I definitely would want to do it again.”

Students modeled in three categories: Black Panther, Renaissance and HBCU-ish. The Black Panther category paid homage to the Black Panther Party and other Civil Rights leaders. Renaissance was themed around Beyoncé and HBCU-ish had the models dress in clothes reminiscent of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). 

In between each walk were intermissions which were to tie in to the walk that came before. The first was the Living Museum, in which each student gave a monologue about a lesser-known Civil Rights leader. 

“This set a light onto them and their life and their impact. Everybody’s always like, ‘Oh, well there’s Martin Luther King and then Malcolm X and Rosa Parks,’” said Evolve vice president Gabe Fortenberry, a junior interdisciplinary studies major from Olive Branch, Mississippi. “We just were like, ‘There’s plenty of other (leaders) that we don’t mention or talk about enough.’ We wanted to try to reach out and just be like, ‘Hey, we know these people are important.’”

The show also featured Jonathan McElroy playing the saxophone. McElroy’s intermission was tied to the Renaissance walk. Students were encouraged to dance before the HBCU-ish walk.

Dukes and Fortenberry said the event was a way to boost student confidence. 

“The models are being more confident. I have regular members who are coming out and enjoying themselves and supporting their other classmates,” Fortenberry said. “It’s a win in both situations and I can’t be anything more than grateful.”

The show’s models said they enjoyed participating in the show.

“It’s been years since I’ve been on stage, so it was exciting to actually get out there and work the runway,” said Tatyana Herrien, a first-year biology major from Bryant, Arkansas.

Shyne Kelly, a first-year exercise science major from Jonesboro, said she modeled in the show because her sister, Carlaja Kelly, encouraged her to participate.

“The Evolve fashion show was an amazing experience that was filled with positivity,” Kelly said. “My favorite part of the event was being able to make new friends and get to know so many new people on campus. It helped boost my confidence and educate me in many different aspects.”

For model Alyssa Willie, a sophomore middle school education major from Jonesboro, said she loved seeing the audience’s reactions to her outfits.

“I loved seeing the smiles on people’s faces, the shocked responses, the all around outgoing cry of excitement and love from the people I go to school with,” Willie said. “I feel that I can now reach spaces in my modeling experience that I couldn’t before.”

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