Women stood around wearing their best spring attire —sailor-esque striped skirts with vibrantly colored stilettos —and men sported sharp dark jeans and casual cardigans. They all waited at the doors of Goldstein Auditorium on Saturday night to see Fashion’s Conscience’s eighth annual fashion show, featuring a guest performance from rapper Wale.

The fashion show, ‘90210: Classic Hollywood,’ presented three hours of new fashion lines that exhibited not only established stores and labels, but also fresh designs from students. Wale closed the fashion show with a short 40-minute concert to accentuate what FC is all about.

‘He speaks the truth about life and uncovers these truths through spoken word,’ said Tuso Boothe, the group’s vice president and a senior public relations major. ‘He will always be compelling as long as he remains true to himself and the words that fly off his paper.’

The event featured Wale as this year’s performer because of his skills as a lyricist, not just as a rapper, Boothe said. Unlike other rappers, Wale’s lyrical messages do not only focus on sex, drugs and money.

Junior psychology major Cynthia Ribot, who was in attendance, also went to last year’s FC fashion show and concert. However, she doesn’t come for the musical performers.

‘I don’t actually know much of Wale’s music,’ Ribot said. ‘I like coming to support my friends who are in the show.’

Hosts De’Marcus Woods, a junior social work major, and Jessie Jolles, a senior public relations major, danced onto the stage to ’40s swing music and introduced FC.

‘Fashion’s Conscience was established on Sept. 15, 2000. They have been around 11 years, so happy birthday to them!’ Woods said.

Woods said FC promotes multiculturalism in the fashion industry and provides a social support system for minorities in the fashion world. It also promotes a socially conscience agenda.

This year, FC’s beneficiary is the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Letecha Dixon, FC president, said the group chose the foundation because its mission to make dreams come true for children with harsh medical conditions identifies with the fashion group’s goal to help fashion dreams come true for underrepresented members of society.

FC also partnered with the SU chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to help promote the event and to build new relationships with other organizations on campus.

‘This year we wanted to embrace new things,’ said Dixon, a senior sociology and public relations major. ‘We are always looking for ways to give back to the community.’

The show started off with Wale’s song ‘90210.’ Spring and summer attire from stores like Ellie Mia Boutique and from labels like High Phashionz were modeled.

Several SU student designs were also featured in the show. Sophomore fashion design major Mohammad Diallo’s pieces included a pair of black see-through chiffon pants and a black and pink shear dress. Fellow sophomore fashion design major Sheridonna Wilson-Bedell’s outfits featured a cream knit cowl dress with wolf fur trimmings on the wrists, along with two-tone strip trousers with a strapless bodice top.

The third featured student designer was Syreeta Herbert, CollegeFashionista’s head style guru for the SU campus and a senior fashion major, who showed a black bodysuit. The CollegeFashionista website is an international blog that highlights college fashion on more than 100 campuses worldwide.’

Herbert also collaborated, on behalf of CollegeFashionista, with FC to host a best dressed competition featuring ticketholders for the event. Herbert and a member of FC selected six ticketholders to become contestants based on how they were dressed. Each performed his or her own runway walk for the audience. Afterward, the contest results were left up to the audience.

When the show rounded up, Dixon, the group’s president, along with FC’s senior members and show hosts all stood on stage. Dixon smiled and looked out at the audience.

‘I hope you’re ready for Wale!’ she said. The audience members threw their hands up and cheered louder.

By the time the stage cleared, members of the audience in floor seats left their chairs and rushed up to the front of the auditorium, pushing close up to each side of the catwalk and stage. Up above, the balconies were filled with fans waiting to see Wale.

The audience hollered as a DJ walked across the stage and up to the booth. Soon after, the lights went out. The audience grew louder when the DJ said, ‘Syracuse University, what up?’

Crowds throughout the auditorium started chanting, ‘Wale!’ The DJ said, ‘You ready to get this show started? Make some noise.’

Red lights began to illuminate the stage, and as Wale finally appeared, he shook hands with the fans lined up along the stage. Wale and his DJ continued to get the audience revved up.

‘Syracuse make some mother f***ing noise, please,’ he said.

Fans screamed and waved their arms around as Wale dominated the catwalk and rapped ‘Chillin’.’ Many fans wore Washington Nationals baseball caps to represent Wale’s hometown, Washington, D.C.

Freshman business major Christian Harley wore his red Nationals cap to the show. Though he had friends participating in the fashion show, the concert was what he looked forward to most.

‘I heard about this appearance a couple months ago,’ Harley said. ‘I saw it on his website and bought tickets as soon as I could.’

In between songs, Wale continued to communicate with the audience.

‘Where’s the basketball team at?’ Wale said. Members of the team slowly entered the stage behind him and gathered around the DJ booth. With the wave of his arm, Wale finally got the players onto the catwalk with him.

Female fans reached for Wale and took hold of his hand or shirt when he and his crew started playing ‘Pretty Girls.’ Wale did not shy away as he kept rapping with the audience. All of the fans went wild and grabbed for Wale when he sporadically sat down on the edge of the stage facing them.

‘I’ve seen Wale perform before, he always has really great stage presence,’ Harley said. ‘I wasn’t disappointed, I’m definitely coming next year.’

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Published on April 25, 2011 at 12:00 pm