On the 7th February this year, a Cultural Fashion Show was held at Parmiter’s School Garston, as an innovative fundraiser with meaning and purpose motivating it. Its success was great; the turnout was large but most of all, it showcased cultural diversity, as was its aim.
This event was held by Team Peace, who are one of the teams taking part in the Parmiter’s Dragons Apprentice, where two teams hold various fundraisers throughout the year to raise money for local charities. Team Peace, and the fashion show, were raising money for the Peace Hospice, who provide free care to people in need in Hertfordshire. With a worthy cause to fundraise for, the team needed to come up with a creative and new way to do so, and so the idea of a Cultural Fashion show was born.
Held in the school hall, the premise for the show was deceptively simple. The team collected volunteers from various year groups and cultures to create a diverse show and split these volunteers into groups, making an African, Asian and European runway. Many of the clothes worn were provided by the participants themselves, bringing a personal touch to the show. However, a lot of the other clothes worn were designed by students and team members, allowing them to showcase their talent with real models and an audience. The runways themselves were incredibly well done, and they were bolstered by supporting acts, including individual singers and the school choir singing songs picked by the music teacher for cultural significance. Additionally, the event included a long interval, during which refreshments were sold, with some foods being made by the team, and clothes were sold to raise additional funds for the Peace Hospice, which was of course the reason behind the event.
The importance of this event can’t be understated: firstly, they raised money for charity and promoted their good cause to a large turnout. Furthermore, being a student-led event allowed students to create the event in the way that was most meaningful to them, and let them showcase their exceptional talents through clothes designs and all the various performances. Finally, the purpose of the event, to promote cultural diversity, was definitely worthy and definitely achieved by the team.
Annabel Thomas
