By Gabrielle Mazeran – Contributor

The annual charity fashion show fundraiser was held in Centennial Theatre on Feb. 17. My colleagues and I, all students from Bishop’s University, had been volunteering for several months to put on a show for the communities of Sherbrooke and Lennoxville. After being inactive for the last three consecutive years, the outcomes of the 2023 fashion show were very encouraging. Indeed, at the end of the day, with all the hard work from the committee, the sponsors, and the volunteers, we raised a total of $7500 for the Lennoxville & District Women’s Centre.

This year’s show was sponsored by Shaker, Jerry’s Pizzeria, Brad’s Gourmet, Red Bull, Les 3 Fées, Studio Enjoyoga, Elements Promotion, Boutique Elle Dit, and Sunshine Shakebar. Volunteer models showed off fashion lines ranging from Bishop’s own Doolittle’s and Gaiters Boutique, to swimwear from Skoka Swim and TeamLTD, to second-hand clothes from Estrie Aide, among many others.

This was my second consecutive year being a part of the fashion show committee. While I was one of the fundraising directors last year, I decided this year to apply for the position of co-marketing director. 

I think everyone from the fashion show committee was disappointed when last year’s show was canceled due to another Covid outbreak. But because of that, this time around it was even more special to host an audience. We knew we were going to bring this Bishop’s tradition back to life.

It was extremely rewarding for the team and I to see the fruits of our hard work. The community shared an abundance of laughter and smiles throughout the evening, which makes me think we had successfully created a fantastic show, since the atmosphere was amazing! 

This event gave the opportunity for many students to get out of their comfort zone and get a preview of a “real fashion show”. It was heartening to see so many students encourage their friends on stage. The audience was asked to wear formal clothes, which created an ambiance that felt even more prestigious.

The goal is to continue this yearly tradition and keep raising money for charity. We hope this event will continue to be a safe and fun environment for the students and that it will grow as one of the biggest BU traditions.

The fashion show committee truly hopes you had a great time watching the show! We are all extremely satisfied with the results and can not wait to start working on the show for next year. In saying this, make sure to follow us on our Instagram page @bufashionshow if you would like to be involved in the 2024 show!