College Life
A Review of Identities 2009, A Charity Fashion Show
By Annie Wang
Summer 2009
With front-row VIP tickets in hand, girlfriends by my side, and the ever-trusty Cambridge winds threatening to topple me over, I wasn't exaggerating when I exclaimed, "I can't wait to get to Identities!" There was also the thought that several of my friends were modeling in the show, that there was a gift bag waiting for me (hopefully with many, many lovely gems inside to offset the price of the VIP ticket...cross my fingers!), and that I had a brand new camera in my purse just itching for some action.
For some reason, despite the enormous selection of fashion shows on campus, this was the first time I had actually attended one. And I wasn't disappointed...except for the fact that my gift bag contained basically about five pieces of paper and some discount codes. Where were all the samples and fun giveaways?! Ah well, Identities was a charity fashion show after all. It's not like I was there to collect goodies, right? Right. The profits from Identities 2009 benefited MAP for Health, "a Boston-based charity dedicated to promoting health awareness among at-risk communities through active outreach" (Identities 2009 website).
But now, on to the show proper!
Identities 2009 consisted of three thematic segments: Demure Danger, Asian Americana, and Street Culture...
Demure Danger
I was intrigued by director Nan Ni 10's vision in this segment, comparing Shanghai fashion circa 1920, embodied by the qipao, the "symbol of understated sexuality;" with flapper fashion in New York at the same time, in all its "rouged cheeks and raised hemlines" glory. "Demure danger" is just the right phrase to describe the captivating pieces that dazzled the runway.
The dress above, at right, was one of my favorites. Not only was it simply a marvel to admire, but it also seemed to capture the East-meets-West aesthetic perfectly, incorporating imagery reminiscent of Chinese rice paddies and evoking the quality of Asian ink paintings.
One of the designers, with two of her models. The student designers whose designs were featured on the catwalk were Meri Burruss '11, Helen Tsim '11, Catherine Chuter '09, Xinran Yuan '10, and Margaret Elizabeth Soutter '12.
Bringing Sexy Back!
I'm getting a Gossip Girl vibe from these two!
Asian Americana
I get that beachwear, plaid, and Polo Ralph Lauren ruggedness all evoke "Americana." More difficult to place is the Asian factor in all this. Was it just that most of the models in this segment were of Asian descent? If it really were so simple to achieve the association between Asian Americans and the red-white-and-blue that director Nathan Gunawan '07 envisioned, I should really continue wearing my favorite Rugby shirts everywhere, and thus flaunt my "Asian Americana"-ness to the world! But that's just the point: I already do. On any given day, chances are good you'll catch me wearing one of the dozens of striped, patched, popped-collar-worthy, pony- and rugby-fied articles of clothing I own and love (perhaps obsessively). Cheers to Identities for putting that microcosm many of my Asian American friends and I represent on the catwalk.
At left: Who says black and brown don't go together?
Street Culture
This final segment, directed by Moonlit Wang '09, was a pleasure to watch. Having been thoroughly entertained at the Expressions show the night before, I was very pleased to be treated to one of the dances again – this time, adapted for the runway! What's more, the dancers were wearing the most decked out, bejeweled, blingin' Ed Hardy caps, jackets, tees, and jeans I'd ever seen outside of...well, music videos. It was enough to make me start drooling. Some of the stunning pieces and slick moves from the catwalk:
At right: Fans. I almost stood up to cheer, myself!
At right: Identities 2009 producers Christina Zhou '11 and David Dornblaser '11. Thanks for a great show!
