EMT played host to a fashion show Saturday night in the Wilkie Auditorium in celebration of its ninth year. “Rip the Roadway” was a performative fashion experience, involving a pre-recorded narrative storyline to introduce each part of the eight-act show.
President Cora Wells and Vice President Alexis Burrus acted as emcees for the event, incorporating the audience and other performing arts styles, such as spoken word, song and dance.
During the introduction, Burrus said LaTroy Hampton founded the troupe, and Wells elaborated on some of the goals.
Members of the group learn methods to market and promote clothing, makeup, accessories and other products and are trained in runway, posing and attitude.
“We work on encouraging girls to come out of their inner selves, if you will,” Wells said. “We teach them different poses, we have three, one of which is commercial where they express facial expression, any type of emotion. Another is catalogue.”
Burrus added the last category.
“The last one is couture, which is high-fashion,” Burrus said.
The recorded storyline introduced the concept of a fashion road trip to New York. The two girls on the track delivered lines that hinted at the type of clothing the models would wear in each act.
“Let’s see what all we have,” the recording said. “Gas, music, how about heels? I think we’re ready to hit the road for the road trip.”
The looks of part one, titled “PREParation,” celebrated a preppy style, with skirts, sweaters and collars.
As the show progressed, models often played off one another, sometimes walking in pairs and striking poses back-to-back, sometimes taking out a cell phone to “selfie.” A runway attached to the regular Wilkie Auditorium stage provided plenty of room to work the looks.
During breaks, Wells and Burrus gave many opportunities to engage the audience and award prizes. They drew names from a hat for a raffle and allowed audience members a chance to show their personal style on the runway.
Styles worn throughout the show included business professional, formal eveningwear and many others to show the range of poses models perfected throughout their time with EMT.
There was great diversity within the other acts throughout the show. Marselis Byers read aloud a spoken word poem, titled “My Wife,” which covered a heavy topic.
“Don’t you dare touch my wife,” Byers began. “I will defend her to the grave. Kill any who disrespect her, y’all best get out my way.”
The piece went on to highlight the different roles of the man and wife in the black community, from the days of slavery through civil rights up to present day. Byers concluded with an important piece of advice for his peers.
“I am the black man and she is the black woman, but when respect fades, black love becomes nothing,” Byers said. “When I think about the past and all the things that we survived and all the pain that we’ve endured, it brings a tear to my eyes.”
One act of the show celebrated models who also work as designers, such as Arriel Vinson and Dai’Chelle Weatherly.
Members of previous executive boards also attended, along with many veterans of EMT. Each had the opportunity to strike their own poses and show off the confidence that came from their time with the troupe.
Near the end, former vice president Nichelle Harlan took the microphone and introduced the executive board’s finale performance.
“This has been an amazing trip, hasn’t it?” Harlan asked. “As we know, all good things do come to an end, but here at EMT we definitely do not end on a low note or a bad note.”
The finale show is a way to celebrate the hard work of the senior members of the group.
“Typically, we have a scene which features our e-board members, because I bet you all wonder who taught these beautiful models everything they know — that’s the e-board, and they’ve been working very hard this year,” Harlan said.
