I went to the CRAVE fashion show and it was insane
‘You must call it CRAVE because each year you crave it more’
Last Friday, April 8th, CRAVE held their annual spring fashion show at the Main Street Arena on the downtown mall. This year’s theme was Disturbia, and models wore clothes and makeup that gave the show an eerie and sublime atmosphere while also adding sex appeal in addition to their plain talent.
CRAVE is not only a club that hosts the fashion show, but is a philanthropic organization that volunteers frequently with the Boys and Girls Club of Central Virginia – specifically the branch on Cherry Avenue. All of their proceeds are donated to this organization.
This year’s director, and CRAVE’s president, Tayler Young, explained to me what it takes to put the show together.
Tayler Young
While the University of Virginia is pretty good about giving money to clubs and organizations, as long as they take the time to apply and detail their application, Tayler contacted businesses, the club conducted multiple fundraisers, and looked into other opportunities for funding. Models also collect ad money which is a big help for the budget. Additionally, they pay membership dues, and ticket sales raise a lot of money.
Money is only the beginning, and the show is something you just have to see in order to realize how much it must take to put the theme and various scenes together to finally have an entire show.
Tayler explained that she had to come up with the theme, but received input from others as well:
“It’s easy to pick a theme but it’s hard to find a way to execute it in a way that an audience will understand what is happening, and because of this coming up with the theme and different scenes is definitely the longest part of the process.”
After choosing a theme, Tayler and her right hand woman, T’sara Nock, the director of club affairs, as well as the model chairs – Myra Reese, Mike Scott, and Tanisha Roberson – pick the models for the show. At the end of the fall semester CRAVE has a model clinic where they introduce basic elements of runway walk, and the next week after the model clinic are try-outs. The person trying out do so individually, and this year CRAVE decided to set it up so Tayler and the rest of the board would give critiques to the models after they walked the first time and then have them do it again.
Tayler says that “this way we can pick up on their ability to take direction, and I think that makes it a lot less nerve racking for them because they have a second chance to do it again.”
Once the models are chosen, practice is held four to five hours a week, except the week before the show when practice is held every day. They then have to pick the venue, and make sure everything is set. Leftover deposits need to be paid, and they have to do tabling, sell tickets, and advertise.
There is a photo shoot that advertises the show and usually takes place a month and a half to two months before. The models are not allowed to know the theme of the show until it gets closer to the date so that there is less of chance that the theme will get out to the students.
“We want it to be a surprise to the students,” Tayler explained.
CRAVE had four designers this year that contributed clothing and designs to the show: Jorge Munoz (UVA alumni), Marshall Pittman (second year), Scheron Harley, and Robert Gray. Scheron is a designer that designs evening gowns in D.C. and for some celebrities, and Robert Gray has a store across from Fashion Square Mall in Charlottesville called “89 Till”.
The rest of the clothing that was used was borrowed from local business including Charlotte Russe, Banana Republic, Anthropologie, Old Navy, and TJ Max.
All this is what goes into putting on this amazing fashion show every spring semester. Yet, CRAVE is more than just a fashion show. Volunteering with the kids in the Boys and Girls Club not only changes the lives of the students that work with them but the lives of the kids that they volunteer with.
Tayler explained: ” A major difference I’ve seen would be when we would go to volunteer with the kids. It is so fascinating to see the transformation. There will be kids that are really shy and they they’ll see us go and walk down the runway and some of their friends will go and do it, and then they gain the confidence to go up there and do things they never thought they could do before.
“It gives them power they do not ordinarily feel they have, and this self-empowerment and confidence is something that could possibly transpire into other realms of their life such as academics or career goals. It shows them they can do anything they put their hearts and minds to.”
Tayler herself found that she gained confidence from being involved with CRAVE.
“I saw the CRAVE show as a prospective UVA student and actually thought I would never do it because it takes a lot of confidence, but I loved the show and the clothes, and the music was so great.”
Her second year at UVA Tayler was recruited to model in the CRAVE fashion show, only to end up becoming interested in the director’s position her third year. She became president her fourth year.
“At first I was not confident that I could run a show because most of the executive board was graduating last year and I was a little nervous, but my executive board really came through this year and we ended up pulling off a great show.”
In terms of change, Tayler only hopes the shows continue to get better: “I always want to see CRAVE taking it to the next step in that each year the bar gets set higher and higher. Someone has actually told me before, ‘I know why you call it CRAVE, because each year you crave it more and more!'”