by JESS SOLAN, Staff Writer

For the past few years, a group of Manhattan College students has been putting up an annual fashion show. On April 27 at 6 p.m., student designers will once again send their garments down the runway on the Quad.

Mukiyanna Kamara, a senior marketing and finance major, has been involved with the shows since they began.

“Two years ago, one of the students started the whole fashion-art thing at Manhattan College, so from there we got inspired to continue it after he graduated,” Kamara said, “So right now I’m working with professor Predmore to do this fashion show event.”

Kamara has had an interest in fashion since she was little and wanted to continue to be involved in it, even at a traditional school.

“It inspires me to be myself and express myself through clothing. [It’s] also inspiring me to do the show is to give more exposure to the fashion industry and to fashion and art and individuality at a more traditional school,” Kamara said.

Kamara is inspired by Diane Von Furtensberg because of her strength and power in the way she carries herself.

“She has created a fashion movement that has inspired woman of many [generations],” Karama said.

Kamara is going to go to graduate school for fashion after she graduates Manhattan College this spring.

“That is my way of continuing to explore the industry,” said Kamara.

Kamara’s passion for fashion is what has spurred her to be a big part of the fashion life on campus and help lead the other designers in being able to show off their work.

“At my weekly meetings, I basically get all of the designers, performers, and people who want to assist in helping with the show together and give them a gist of what’s going to be going on,” Kamara said, bringing up the importance of organization in the show.

She continued.

“I really want to focus on structure and making sure everything goes perfectly and very organized. That’s my main point for this year. I really focus on making sure designers have their models and that they know what they’re doing and have the things they need,” Kamara said.

Albert Francois, a senior finance major, has always been intrigued by fashion.

“My mom was very involved in the fashion industry, said Francois, “so since I was little, I have always been exposed to the culture.”

Francois is not only interested in the design aspect of the fashion industry, but also the modeling side of it.

“I have also modeled for designers and brands at Manhattan College that allowed me to continue this involvement while still getting an education,” he said.

A lot of Francois’s fashion inspiration comes from his love of comics, which he incorporates into his designs. He is also inspired by Odell Beckham’s street style, Jidenna’s classy style and his mother.

Francois may be a finance major, but fashion still holds a special place for him.

“One of my passions has always been to work on Wall Street. But that does snot mean I won’t find ways to be involved in the fashion industry,” said Francois.

Joseph Serulle, a senior marketing major, has also been involved with the fashion shows at Manhattan College since they began.

“Every year, we keep making bigger strides,” Serulle said.

Serulle started his own clothing brand three years ago and finds it important for designers on campus to share their ideas and productivity.

“By having a show, it shows everybody’s designs and what they’re up to – i thought it would be nice for students to get involved,” said Serulle.

Serulle’s fashion inspirations include GQ, as well as rappers and talents in the music industry like Travis Scott and A$AP Rocky.

“I like clothing people can wear but still feel good in, walk the streets in but still look good. When you’re not looking like a bum, but not looking like too much,” Serulle said.

Serulle has worked with Kamara in organizing the show. They have a big part in informing the other people involved and the show has really been starting to come together in recent weeks.

“Last week we did the order and layouts that we have been working on for a while, Serulle said, “there are new ideas, we bounce ideas off of each other. It’s basically how the show is going to run. Operations.”

Last year, a few issues arose with the show, so operations are a major focus this year.

“We keep learning every year. Last year we had some technical difficulties with the DJ,” said Serulle.

Serulle arranges for each model to have their own choice of a song to stress their individuality.

“I mix my own soundtrack before I go on, so I make sure each model has a song of their own choice, their own style,” he said. “I think it’s important to embody the style of the model. Not everyone is the same.”

Serulle hopes that the show continues to grow after his graduation.

“I feel like if we do really well this year, every year we will start picking up more people who are interested,” he said. “We got two new designers this year.”

Kamara also hopes that the show will be carried on for many years to come.

“Right now we do have juniors and sophomores in the show, so my future plans for the show are hopefully that this year touches them,” she said.