TU Fashion presents its fourth annual fashion show • The Tulane Hullabaloo

Tulane Fashion Club, a student fashion organization, has become a truly special part of the Tulane community. Snapshots of stylish looks worn by students flood TU Fashion's Instagram, and the annual fashion show makes campus a little more colorful.

This year's show took place on Sunday, April 21 in the Kendall Cram Conference Room. The show took over a year to plan and the club is already thinking about next year's show.

Barbara Malamut, executive director, has been a driving force at Tulane Fashion. From a very young age, she drew ideas and reworked her mother's old clothes. In high school, she attended fashion school. She joined the Tulane fashion club as a sophomore and began modeling shows that year.

I think the shows are a really good way to get students involved, and one of my favorite parts is seeing the growth of everyone in the club, she said. When I was a sophomore, I trained students who were younger than me, and it is truly rewarding to see many of them now becoming club officials. I love working with my team, they value all the hard work. They call me mom and come to me with questions and advice that I deeply cherish. Having that position of trust and seeing what we've grown together is truly my favorite part.

The theme of this year's show was the 4 seasons. The parade on the runway began with spring, symbolizing dawning beginnings, life and prosperity, and ended with winter, reflecting the end and death.

The designers have beautifully imitated natural life throughout the seasons. With outfits like butterfly in spring, Amalfi Coast in summer, cozy crochet in fall, and blizzard in winter, each look is thoughtfully designed to emulate these fleeting moments.

What sets this show apart from a traditional fashion show is the seasonal culture represented, as well as a theatrical component to bring the looks to life. For example, the apple orchard look featured a model holding an apple and pretending to eat it.

Is the end goal to make a pretty outfit or to send a message? said Malamut. The message is much more important to us than the wearability of the clothes. The looks are just fun and I love that it's very Met Gala-esque in that way.

The music and magical stylistic touches made the 4 Seasons show a whimsical and colorful experience. Every detail of the looks was intentional. Gemstones and facial glitter dazzled the models' makeup, and statement jewelry matched the outfits. Notably, a hot pink floral choker in the Mayflower look complemented the pink heels and pops of color throughout the dress.

There were plenty of dazzling accessories in the different looks. The April shower look featured an umbrella. The Phoenix Fire look featured gold flake face details and orange feathers, and the hot chocolate look featured a fluffy white top hat, along with a matching coat and heels adorned with a plume of feathers to imitate marshmallows.

From the first show in 2021 to the fourth show this year, the Tulane Fashion community has worked hard and continues to bring its A-game. Tulane fashion has continued to generate growing excitement around their presence, and their fashion show has become an annual tradition that many students look forward to.

I care about the show, I feel like it's my baby that we all brought to life, Malamut said, and I know my team is already thinking about what they'll do next year when I will graduate and what the theme will be. I view all of our hard work on these shows as part of a larger goal. I want this community to continue to grow at Tulane.