By Cristal Steuer

“Growing up, I was always surrounded by fashion. My older sister is a fashion designer. Once I learned about the Black Student Union (BSU) Fashion Show I knew it was something I had to be a part of,” shares Moniqua Williams, a senior at the College of the Holy Cross and the organizer of the annual Black and Gold Fashion Show.

The BSU will hold its 14th annual Fashion Show and Dinner on Feb. 3 at Mechanics Hall in downtown Worcester.  Dinner is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the fashion show will begin at 8 p.m. This semi-formal event, held during Black History Month, is a celebration of Black history and culture.

Holy Cross men and women from all class years, backgrounds, shapes, and sizes will hit the runway and model the latest trends.

“I have been a part of the Holy Cross Fashion Show since my freshman year when I was a model,” explains Williams. “Over the past few years I have become more interested in putting on the show than being in it. I have been lucky enough to be in charge of the show for the last two years.”

This year’s theme is “Fashion Freak Show,” which Williams says is a “…fashion circus that promotes the importance of being different, and expressing yourself through fashion.”

“Last year’s show was themed “Fashion Fades, Style’s Eternal,”  which taught the audience the impact  fashion from the past, has made on the future,” explains Williams, a Boston native.
Upon graduation, Williams, a visual arts major, hopes to attend grad school school and become an interior designer or event coordinator. “I’ve gained interest in these occupations from my involvement within the Fashion Show,” says Williams.

Tickets, with dinner included, cost $15 for Holy Cross students, $20 for Consortium students, and $23 for staff, faculty and the public.  For more information, contact Moniqua Williams at mwwill12@g.holycross.edu.

Each year, the BSU donates part of the proceeds to a different charitable organization.  In the past they have donated to the American Heart Association, YouthAIDS, the Haiti Relief Effort, and Pink Revolution. “This year we are hoping to donate to a charity involving children with disabilities or diseases,” says Williams.

The BSU’s principle objective is to promote a sense of unity among the black community at Holy Cross. Designed as a support group, this organization works to help black students develop and expand their potential.

Photo:  Colleen Curtin ‘14 walks the runway at last year’s show.