After over a year of preparation—planning a photo shoot, coming up with choreography, and holding a Rent the Runway-sponsored model auction—the night of Eleganza2011, Harvard’s biggest fashion show, has finally arrived!
While the audience of over 2000 people is getting seated and taking photos with the Vitamin Water and Rent the Runway backdrops, models, make-up artists, and the fashion team are scrambling backstage, finalizing looks. Loosely based off of themes within Greek mythology, this year’s show is split into three scenes with very distinctive feels that the main hero has to navigate as he searches for a “lady in red.” This mysterious woman seduces him at the beginning of the first scene to the beats of “One in a Million” by Ne-Yo, wearing the scarlet, ethereal Halston Heritage La Scala Draped Dress and handing him a mysterious Pandora’s Box.
Once he opens the box, he is transported to Medusa’s Lair, where Medusa and her minions are decked out in crazy prints including several Rent the Runway outfits, featuring the colorful patterns of the Black Halo Dragon Tattoo dress, Christian Siriano Brilliant Blue Halter Dress, with the main villain clad in the boldly striped Tracy Reese Backgammon Dress.
An epic dance-off ensues between the hero and Medusa, during which he figures out a crafty way to defeat her and moves on to the Underworld. In the dark and tempestuous Underworld, he meets the jealous Persephone, Hades, and Cerberus, the three-headed dog. While there, he must evade the lost souls seeking to pull him under, and the Three Fates threatening his lifeline, two of them wearing matching fitted, black Haute Hippie Little Miss Vixen Dresses with shiny patent leather piping.
He is saved by the “lady in red” and makes his way to Club Olympus, where the gods are having a great time, partying to “All of the Lights” by Kanye West and “Blow” by Ke$ha. The nymphs dance onstage, emerging from the audience in gold, metallic dresses—including the Robert Rodriguez Collection Gold Tank Dress and Mark & James by Badgley Mischka Sea of Sequins Shift—only fit for goddesses.
As the revelry on the runway grows increasingly more reckless, the hero finds a way to defeat Zeus and set his girl free, only to find he has been tricked, exchanging his freedom for hers. She celebrates her victory to the song, “Coming Home,” by Diddy Dirty Money, wearing for the first time a white dress (Tracy Reese Swept Summer Dress), instead of a red one.
A high-energy dance finale brings down the house, followed by a performance from the Harvard Black Men’s Forum Step Team that ends in everyone storming the stage and dancing to “Teach Me How to Dougie” by Cali Swag District. Eleganza2011 raised over $5000 for charity and lived on as a night of fashion and fun, a party that won’t be topped…at least, until next year.
Love. Wear. Return.
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