April 21, 2016

A vibrant Motherland Fashion Show

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By Vicki-Ann Downing

The colors, clothing, and music of Africa were on display during the third annual fashion show of the Motherland Dance Group, a student organization created in 2012 to educate the Providence College community about Africa’s contributions to world culture.

This year’s theme was Afrique Déchainé (Africa Unleashed). The student models wore clothing representing the time of slavery to modern Africa and reflecting the diversity of the 55 countries on the continent. For the first time, the event was staged in the Angell Blackfriars Theatre of the Smith Center for the Arts, giving organizers access to backstage dressing and makeup rooms as well as a stage that served as a runway.

Eight fashion designers supplied clothing and jewelry for the show and came to campus to direct their segments. Thirty models were selected to participate after auditions. Professional hair and makeup services were offered by Christine M. Paige, owner of Bliss Salon in Providence. Dancers from the Motherland Dance Group performed, along with Rhythm Nation Steppaz, a group from The College of the Holy Cross, and Edwino, a Ghanian artist and musician.

If fashion is a statement, then Motherland’s message was a clear one: Africa is a vibrant world of color, culture, and music.

“We wanted to give people a taste of the African culture through fashion, music, and dance,” said Margaret “Peggy” Saanuo ’16, a student from Ghana who is Motherland’s president. “Africa is not ‘the dark continent,’ and people need to know that.”

Photography by Karin Michele Dailey

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