Ever wondered what it would be like to command the catwalk? For Lux, Tufts China Care's Annual Charity Fashion Show, 31 students will do just that as they become models for the night and strut their stuff across a red carpet wearing Marc Jacobs, BCBG and other designers.
The event is a way for the Tufts branch of the China Care Club to raise money and, hopefully, improve a life. The group needs $4,400 to pay for one two−year−old orphan's heart surgery in Beijing, a goal it hopes to reach through ticket sales for Lux.
"It's very hard for people to adopt kids with disabilities," said Lou Tanyu, a senior and the show's producer. "The surgery is really essential to them finding good homes."
Tanyu has been working since September along with co−directors and juniors Jessica Zhang and Yen Alexis Yuen, as well as communications manager and sophomore Helen Chen, to organize the show. She explained that although there are plenty of fundraising event options, members of the Tufts China Care club thought that a fashion show would bring a fresh form of entertainment to campus.
"The concept in pairing [China Care and the fashion show] was to create a fundraiser that's different than what we normally see at Tufts," Tanyu said. "This is something that never really happens on campus and that brings a lot of people together."
Bringing a variety of social circles together was one of the main goals of the foursome in charge of the 2010 Lux Show. While the lineup of models has been strictly female in the past, the girls decided to add on 13 male models to this year's performance. Tanyu, Yuen, Zhang and Chen held an open casting call in November and were kept busy with around 75 auditions. Along with a powerful catwalk, the girls sought out dedication and variety; they looked for students who demonstrated a genuine concern for China Care's charity efforts and who brought a unique campus persona to the show. All models were required to learn about the China Care Foundation, and some have even volunteered for the organization locally and internationally.
"We've got everyone ranging from sorority sisters to track stars in the show," Chen said. For the organizers, this variety hopefully means that they'll get more people in the audience supporting their friends in the show.
"We put a lot of thought into picking our models, who represent different student groups on campus, because they are the spokespeople of Lux and Tufts China Care," Yuen said. "In the past, the [fashion show] has gathered mostly the Asian community at Tufts, but this is a way to hopefully get everyone involved — and more people to know about China Care."
It also helps that the show itself promises to be a lot of fun. The night will feature a live DJ — Matthew Seaton (LA '07) — and guest performances from the Jackson Jills, Turbo and the Burlesque Troupe. Three couples from the cast of student models will perform the cha−cha and tango while showcasing their formalwear, and audience members will have the chance to vote for their favorite model during the intermission. Small items such as cosmetic compacts will be on sale, and other items will be raffled off, including a coveted Black Bruna bag by Marc Jacobs that sells for $1,295 in stores.
Models will show off two semiformal outfits and one formal ensemble. The clothes themselves are chic — donated pieces from Lux's official sponsoring stores ALO and Soo Dee, as well as items by J. Crew, Nautica, Calvin Klein and more. Yuen admits she's excited about a blue, cinched number worn by model May Igawa in the show, while Tanyu favors a playful pink origami dress by BCBG.
"We're going for really professional," Yuen said.
And it shows. During rehearsal, Yuen calls out an eight−count to a pulsing background beat controlled by Seaton, and the models complete choreographed turns and then make their way down an imaginary carpet to strike poses and blow kisses. Slick photographs and invitational videos of the models are popping up throughout campus, and the event's presence on Facebook.com is astounding.
"Facebook actually told us to stop spamming people," Tanyu admitted with a laugh.
Lux: Tufts China Care Fashion Show is a one−night only event this Thursday in the Cohen Auditorium from 9 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Tickets can be bought in advance for $8 or for $10 with five free raffle tickets. Tickets purchased at the door will be $10, not including raffle tickets.
