The lights dimmed in the cold auditorium as the audience settled in their seats. In an 80 minute fashion show, styles from all around the world walked the catwalk on Jan.13. As student models from cultural clubs sauntered down the stage, the significances of their outfits were explained. Junior Diamond Chuor modeled for two clubs to represent the different parts of her heritage.

“I was asked to model for Vietnamese Student Association and Filipino American Student Association,” Chuor said. “I thought it would be a fun way to share traditional Vietnamese and Filipino clothing with my friends.”

Chuor’s traditional Vietnamese embroidered áo dài and Filipino A-line skirt and sheer white top were just two parts of the show. Each cultural club had five or six models showing off different eras and styles of clothing. Senior Sandra Torres represented one of the array of clubs were invited to bring male and female models to participate in the event.

“All the cultural clubs were invited to participate in this clubs,” Torres said. “As the vice president of the German National Honor Society, I took initiative. That’s how it came about. Special shout out to our teacher Michael Russow and my friend junior Derek Adrion for providing the outfits. It was a really wonderful experience.”

Torres wore a dirndl, an everyday outfit that women in Bavaria, a state in Southeast Germany, would wear. Her fellow German models sported lederhosen, another Bavarian outfit that would likely be worn during Oktoberfest in Germany. Other clubs also showed off clothing for both special occasions and daily wear. Junior Stephani Luna commented on the work that the East African Student Association put into its show.

“It took a lot of hard work to get all of this together,” Luna said. “A lot of members had to sacrifice a lot of time in order to get the event running as well as it could. They had to make sure that a lot of people could model and participate. They dedicated a lot of time making sure that the cultural aspect was prominent.”

From Latin Revolution to German National Honor Society to the Vietnamese Student Association, the fashion show featured clothing from cultures of every race. As the show traveled from ethnicity to ethnicity, country to country, the models took the audience around the world in 80 minutes and showed off the diversity of the student body while they were at it.

“I think the East African Student Association did a really good job at making sure each culture was represented really well,” Luna said. “Diversity helps bring people together, so I’m glad that they were able to portray a lot of cultures.”