Glitter and glamour transformed the EMU Ballroom into a fashion extravaganza Sunday at the 10th annual Alpha Kappa Alpha Black Heritage Fashion Show.
Several hundred people attended “A Portrait Through Time,” a showcase of traditional and modern clothing and tributes to musicians, athletes and influential black individuals.
Senior Kawezya Hutchinson said the show was a celebration of black history that all cultures could celebrate together.
“Each year the show gets better,” Hutchinson said. “We incorporated a lot more black history (this year).”
Leaders Marcus Garvey and W.E.B. DuBois and singers Bessie Smith and AKA member Ella Fitzgeraldwere recognized for their achievements.
Images flashed of The Savoy, Cotton Club and Apollo as Hutchinson described Harlem, the “quintessential African American town.”
The show also honored contemporary musicians, including Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes and Aaliyah, with a slide show presentation.

“I’m glad we are paying tribute to all of the musical artists of the past who were killed,” Oregon State University sophomore and model Joshua Hawkins said.
Victims of the 1948 Portland Vanport District flood were honored with a visual presentation and speech about the oppression black people faced in Oregon during the 20th century.
Portraying the feel of the Cotton Club, a performance titled “After Five” livened the room with modern clothing and provocative dance, followed by a spiced-up salsa performance illustrating how African Americans have influenced the genre. Models also exhibited traditional African wedding attire and music in “The Wedding March.”
Picking up the pace, members of two fraternities and two sororities mixed the clapping and stomping of stepping with a variety of dance styles in the “Steppin’ Out” scene. Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity members gave red roses to audience members and integrated the use of canes into their coordinated routine. The nine members of AKA sorority rounded out the greek performances by stepping in coordinating outfits.
Additional entertainment included two vocal performances by junior Olivia Callier and a poetry reading by University student Cory Mainor, who read the poems “The Beauty of My City” and “Smoke Speaks” with pictures of Harlem on display.
The show capped off with the hip-hop scene “Bourbon Street Live,” where the performers gathered together on stage to create a party atmosphere.
With few glitches, AKA president and senior Nicole Johnson said that the show was a success.
“It was the 10th anniversary, and it all came together really well,” Johnson said. “The models are wonderful — they always do something that just makes it a special event.”