NAACP hosting Fashion Show to raise funds for scholarship; showcasing clothes from local businesses
Several students, community members, and even some elected officials will walk the runway Saturday at Owensboro High School as the branch NAACP chapters come together for their inaugural Fashion Show to raise funds for a scholarship.
Owensboro NAACP Chapter President Rhondalyn Randolph said the fashion show is a community-wide event. The clothes are sourced from partnerships with local boutiques, including Bella Ragazza, Kingdom Cords, The Earle, and more.
Randolph said the NAACP has been working on this event for about a year. They contacted all boutiques and ended up partnering with six.
“Sometimes our local boutiques are kind of overlooked when you can run to Walmart or go to a [chain store]. We have lots of local boutiques that have a variety of different clothing choices and styles, and sometimes unique styles. So we wanted to showcase our local businesses as well and generate some traffic for them,” Randolph said.
The Fashion Show will start at 2 p.m. in the OHS Auditorium (1800 Frederica Street).
The show will feature outfits from casual to formalwear. The 20 models include a mix of students in the Owensboro High School NAACP chapter and community members including County Commissioner Chris Castlen and his wife Stacey as well as Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Candance Brake and her husband Nick.
Many of the students, Randolph said, haven’t been able to get fitted or have clothes tailored to them, so not only is this program spotlighting the businesses, but it is also presenting the participants with the chance at something outside their comfort zone.
“There’s a difference between getting something off the rack and getting something that is for you, and if you’re not taught or introduced to that, you may not even consider that,” Randolph said.
Owensboro Times Reporter Josh Kelly and WEVV 44News Evening Anchor El’Agance Shemwell will co-host the show.
“I am excited to join this celebration of the different local businesses that shape this town, in addition to presenting the students with a chance to boost their confidence. Community-involved events like this are true ways to unite everyone,” Kelly said.
Randolph noted that the Fashion Show takes help from all Owensboro chapters of the NAACP, including the OHS youth chapter and Kentucky Wesleyan College’s chapter — with roughly 50 volunteers helping with the event.
The Fashion Show is a fundraiser for the organization’s Travis Leon Jackson Scholarship, which they award every year. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the scholarship. The scholarship is named in honor of The Rev. Larry Lewis’ late son, and it is gifted to students in the community to help them pursue their educational endeavors and showcase their leadership potential.
By Josh Kelly The Owensboro Times