On Saturday, April 8, the Wiegand Gym housed the annual SPIRIT Fashion Show. The concept of this year's show was "Made For TV." Students from Carnegie Mellon, the University of Pittsburgh, and other local colleges modeled clothing, much of which was designed and created by Carnegie Mellon students. Unlike years past, this year's fashion show offered special VIP tickets, which not only got attendees in early, but also provided them with sandwiches and refreshments while they watched the show.

Although organizers kept the audience waiting for a full hour, the two and a half hour production was well worth the admission fee. Each scene was preceded by a pre-recorded "History Channel" commentator (portrayed by CFA junior Joseph Byrd) giving a history of African peoples. When Byrd moved onto a topic such as African food or athleticism, the TV "changed channels" and the models emerged in applicable outfits.

The first section, Animal Planet, immediately placed audience members in the world of nature, featuring music from the Broadway musical The Lion King. Models in this section had stylized performances to further enhance the animal print and African themed outfits. In the Food Network section, School of Drama performers danced to Beauty and the Beast's "Be Our Guest." They were followed by a barrage of food-inspired fashions, from candy to vegetables.

The evening continued with fashions and clips from ESPN, TLC, the Weather Channel, and the Sci-Fi Channel. Each section featured both dancing and modeling, presented with flair and attitude. Especially of note were the dancers in the Weather Channel section with their energetic popping and locking.

After a brief intermission, the show continued with a look into On Demand. This section began with a scene straight from the movie Moulin Rouge. The dancers sported different variations of lingerie, leg warmers, and heels. This section was marked by numerous dance performances and especially memorable moments, such as HSS sophomore Faryal Kahn throwing condoms into the waiting audience.

The next On Demand movie was Boyz in the Hood, depicted by an all-male section with bare chests and jackets. The Wiz followed with fashions inspired by the movie. The show ended with a riveting dance performance by Byrd, followed by a parade of church hats.

The fashion show is a yearly event for SPIRIT. For more information, contact spirit@andrew.cmu.edu.

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