FASHION@BROWN '23 – THE RUNWAY SHOW

Sahil Balani

Fashion@Brown had its annual runway show on the 17th of March. The event concludedBrown Fashion Week, a celebration of the fashion industry through various speaker series, from Hilary Milnes to Alessio Bolzoni. Needless to say, the runway show was much awaited, and the fact that all tickets sold out within the first three hours was a testament. 

The event for the first time in F@B’s history took place off campus. The industrial atmosphere, the brick walls, and the hanging ring lights of One Davol Square made the show a spectacle that was not to be missed. By 6:45 pm, the venue was packed with audiences from all over the city dressed in their most elegant and youthful looks. F@B presidents, Natalia Brown and Kaila Zimnavoda introduced the evening and the club. They passed the mics to the heads of design who expressed the long hours and hard work put in by their team. Some designers learned sewing through the making of their collection, while others already had experience.Sesbass Immonen, who has been the design head for over three years, exhibited his wonderful collection for his last Brown Fashion Week. 

Intentional or not, the show opened with the first model wearing a green outfit, which was interesting as it was St. Patrick’s day. The association of good luck with wearing the color on the day helped set a positive mood for the rest of the event.

Throughout the night, designers from Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design showcased their work. With over 100 models, it was the largest number of looks ever shown at Brown Fashion Week. From upcycled denim wear to knitted dresses to outfits made out of muslin, the designers experimented with materials. All of the garments were well made, experimental, and new. Some audience members even expressed that they would  wear the outfits. Unlike the other fashion weeks in New York and Paris, Fashion@Brown’s runway had models representing everyone in the audience, from different body types to different genders, to different skin colors. It felt as if the models were from the audience, and that allowed for better engagement and more appreciation of the clothes. 

The designers presented where GenZ fashion is headed by giving us a variety of themes. There were odes to nature in dresses through seashell jewelry and beachy outfits. There were metallic and sharp-cut pants and sweatshirts, featuring wires and motherboards, infusing technology in fashion. From uniquely buttoned shirts to a twist on the flannel, the runway gave the audience so much to appreciate and so much to get inspired from. I was definitely taking down notes on how to style myself for the coming spring/summer. In addition to the fabulous clothes, the pumping beats, as the models walked the runway, infused the show with young and peppy energy. 

The event concluded with all the designers walking on the ramp with their models as the audience cheered for each one. This was a special moment as everyone got to see the faces behind all the hard work that was put into making this show a success. The F@B presidents took the stage to express their gratitude towards the designers, the audience, and the showrunners as they bid farewell. Brown and Zimnavoda then introduced the next year’s presidents, Adah Arora, Ellie Karniadakis, and Rozella Kim. 

The annual runway show was a success and the expectations for next year’s show are set higher than ever. It will be interesting to see what new and free workshops the design department holds. Who will be the new designers that become part of this moment? Until then, don’t forget to follow Fashion@Brown to stay tuned for more event updates and editorials.