Unity Charity Fashion Show celebrates diversity of myth and designers

Local designers stunned the crowd at the annual Unity Charity fashion show. The show’s myth theme shined through designs that featured drapery, headpieces and eye-catching silhouettes.

Nearly 300 people attended the show at Artifact Events, a modern loft with two floors and an industrial metal bridge. The crowd buzzed and cheered as Northwestern student models walked to hip hop, Latin and pop music. The show featured ten designers and a performance from student ballet group Reflections Repertory Company.

Each collection interpreted and reinterpreted the idea of myth. Designs represented sea creatures, ancient gods and deities and even bridal looks. The show closed with the designers walking with models in some of the most iconic looks of the night, welcomed with announcements and cheers.

Fairyangel Clothing showcased unabashed designs not afraid to show skin. In all too short of a show, explosions of flowers trailed behind models. Unapologetic bright colors and body-bearing designs evoked nature and femininity.

The next collection, by Yue Designs, evoked the mythical and fantastic elements of the sea. Sirens drifted up the runway stairs, paired with a watercolor painting of the ocean and a coral reef of a pink dress. Romantic designs featured sheer pearlescent draping, kelp-inspired silhouettes and the beautiful blue of the sea.

If Yue Designs’ collection was the sunlight zone, Jess Crane’s dove much deeper into the ocean. The pieces embodied the dark and dangerous of deep ocean trenches. Darkly romantic designs drew on barnacles, angler fish and plastic waste trapped in islands and the ocean floor.

Ticket proceeds will be donated to Snow City Arts, a charity organization that provides arts education for youth staying long term in Chicago hospitals.