Tapestried with a variety of cultural attire, an International Fashion Show at Montgomery College (MC) unfolded on November 15 during day three of MC’s annual International Education Week. The Theatre Arts stage transformed into a red carpet fashion runway where traditionally dressed students walked.

MC Rockville’s Fashion Club and Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society (PTK) hosted the show for International Education Week, an annual MC celebration of world cultures taking place over five event-packed days, from November 13 to November 17. Fashion Club president Alyssa Bottenfield stated, “I thought it would be a really good idea because International Education Week is everybody showcasing their own culture. Everyone was going to come dressed in cultural wear anyway, so I thought it would be a really good idea to merge it and really showcase the diversity.”

Event organizer, Bottenfield, recruited models through “reaching out to clubs like the Latino Student Union, the Arab Society Club, and the South Asian Club.” Surrounded by fashion, food, and club trifold boards, cultural exchange enlivened the energy of students and faculty.

Alyssa Bottenfield has ambitions for Fashion Club. She held a clothing swap the day after the show and ugly holiday sweater workshops in December. For the spring semester, Bottenfield revealed Fashion Club will “have an actual full runway show with people showcasing their designs and upcycling.”

The International Fashion Show gathered a disparate crowd for a showcasing of diversity via couture. Through this event, Fashion Club displayed their commitment to promoting creativity and inclusivity through fashion.

To join Fashion Club, please email Alyssa Bottenfield: [email protected]

For more information on Phi Theta Kappa, please visit:  https://www.montgomerycollege.edu/academics/honors/honors-societies.html