Fashion for Philanthropy Aids Make-a-Wish

Fordham students and family members alike filed into the Rose

Hill Gymnasium for an unfamiliar reason on Friday, April 16th. Button-down dress shirts and sequenced dresses replaced Fordham jerseys; Manolo Blahnik's and suede loafers replaced basketball sneakers. At approximately 7 P.M. on April 16th, the Rose Hill Gymnasium appeared to be an exact replica of an exclusive tent during Fashion Week. Fashion for Philanthropy club successfully conducted its annual fashion show fundraiser, this time benefitting the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The themed fashion show annually raises thousands of dollars for Make-A-Wish Foundation, raising just under $6,000 last year. The club was able to feature globally famous fashions such as alice + olivia, Shoshanna, e.vil and more.

Minutes before the show, the glare of the white lights seemed to create an unfamiliar ambiance of anxiousness and anticipation. Vice President Molly McLoone, FCRH'11, and the rest of the club scurried around the gymnasium to complete the finishing touches. The nervous models were not the only ones prepared for an evening of glamour; every audience member was dressed in his or her Friday best.

"Am I even allowed to wear a hat?" one student questioned his friend, perplexed at the unofficial formality of the event.

Once inhabited by eight-foot-tall sweaty basketball players, the transformation of the basketball court was unreal.

When the show finally began 30 minutes past seven, in typical fashion-show delay, every audience member stared wide-eyed and attentive at a video montage of a few favorite Disney moments. Genie, known for granting wishes, was a suitable opener for such a particular cause.

The show was truly magical; entitled, "Once Upon A Runway," it was set to represent the popular themes within a fairy tale. Successfully executed, the show was broken into two acts: Act I consisted of the themes "Desert Safari," "Tropical Jungle" and "Enchanted Forest."

Following an intermission that featured Fordham Flava were the "Villains," "Heroes" and "Princesses." Music supplied by DJ Richie Coppolino accompanied each particular theme.

The high-fashion collections each had their own mood that was essential for the delivery of the theme.

"The Desert Safari, definitely," said Kristen Flores, FCRH '13, when asked about their favorite collection.

The opening of the show of was an instant hit: the song "Africa" by Toto echoed throughout the gymnasium and fierce models stomped down the runway in animal prints. The models played a significant part in the delivery of the fashion show. All models were different heights, weights and ethnicities. It made for a unique show that truly exemplified the diversity that Fordham prides itself for.

"I was honestly surprised at how convincing the models were," Hannah O'Donnell, FCRH '13, said.

Those who had always dreamed of strutting down the runway were finally able too, for a good cause.

     The beneficiaries of the Make-A-Wish foundation were not the only ones whose dreams were in the making. Student designer Alyssa Carnazza, FCRH '10, was able to showcase her "Villain" collection that took three months to construct. Carnazza designed the entire collection by embodying the attitude of a "fearless woman" through the use of black leather skirts and neon-green tulle.

"Honestly, what makes me happiest is how great my models were," she said. "I really wanted them to walk super sexy, confident, and to a different pace of music and they totally nailed it."

Recently learning to sew as a senior in high school, she was able to join together with her mom and sister to finalize the fierce collection.

"During the show, I was cueing all of the girls so I didn't get a chance to see them on the runway, but I watched it later that night and actually cried," Carnazza said.

The donations from the show will allow the foundation to grant more severely ill patients with their own wish. The unbeatable combination of fantasy and fashion was perfect for a good cause.

"As someone who has personally seen the benefits of a wish from Make-A-Wish (my younger brother received one last year), I am beyond thrilled to be able to help someone's wish come true," McLoone said.

So what's in store for the future?

"Obviously no event is ever perfect, so once we are recovered from our months of hard work, the 2010-2011 E-Board and myself will go back and evaluate the positives and negatives of the show to ensure that next year's show is the best it can be," next year's President-elect, McLoone, said.