Fashion show to display models of all body types

According to the French saying, one must suffer to be beautiful. Models in the first ever ASUW Fashion Show might beg to differ.

ASUW Arts & Entertainment (A&E) teamed up with the ASUW Student Health Consortium (SHC) to create an event in recognition of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. The fashion show presents clothing from local retailers who focus on healthy lifestyles and features models from the UW community.

The collaboration between the two ASUW commissions came about in a serendipitous way, but it turns out that the two groups have more in common then one might imagine.

“At an ASUW orientation event, the Student Health Consortium and Arts & Entertainment were randomly paired together for a team-building exercise to plan a hypothetical event,” said Lauren Sterling, director of SHC. “Tara [the director of A&E] had wanted to do a fashion show for some time, and I wanted to do a health, eating and nutrition event.”

The approximately 130 male and female models will be representing diversity in ways the fashion industry fails to do: models range from size 0 to 26.

“This event is about a celebration of being confident, healthy and active, in honor of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. But the focus is on being happy with their bodies,” Sterling said.

Sterling said there are healthy behaviors as well as healthy mental outlooks.

“An eating disorder is really a mental issue as much as a physical issue,” she said. “We are about promoting healthy minds and a healthy body.”

Tara Miller, the director of ASUW A&E, is a model herself and has had to deal with the discrimination from the fashion industry.

“I’ve had a lot of pressure to lose weight; I’m a size 4 and 5’10”, a curvier model,” she said. “But I like my curves and I’ve refused jobs before. Living how I want to is more important than making a body ideal to the industry.”

Unlike other fashion shows, models will go out one by one, instead of a continuous loop, to give each model undivided attention from the audience.

Every last detail of the event has the purpose of inspiring confidence and self-love, Miller said. The models will tell the hair and makeup artists what they consider their best feature, and the artists will “emphasize [the models’] favorite part of their face,” she said.

Miller chose local clothing brands and boutiques that emphasize an active lifestyle and carry clothes in a variety of sizes. Some examples include Lucy, The North Face, Coastal, The Industry, Laced Up, Horseshoe, Casual Industries, Red Light and Two Big Blondes, and Random Tuesday. Student designer JAMESKFUNG will premiere his first collection.

All of the models are UW students, faculty and staff, and ASUW President Tyler Dockins will be on the catwalk representing the student body wearing a T-shirt from Casual Industries.

“I like being a part of the ASUW events,” Dockins said. “[The fashion show] is about presenting healthy body image — it’s a great cause and is promoting awareness about these issues.”

The first 150 guests will receive goody bags that include coupons for most of the stores, as well as OPI nail polish, lotion samples, and information about activities on campus that encourage an active lifestyle, Miller said. Raffles and prizes will also be offered.

As to whether the event will make an impact in the long run, Sterling said, “Bringing people to the issue and seeing people who are comfortable for their bodies is important. It’s a very holistic event.”

[Reach reporter Sonia McBride at new@thedaily.washington.edu.]