BAS shows ‘The Ten Commandments of Style’

Things were hectic minutes before the doors opened for the annual Black Action Society… Things were hectic minutes before the doors opened for the annual Black Action Society fashion show. Models waited to get their hair and makeup done, support staff ran wires and set up cameras, and the event’s organizer, senior Leonard Marshall, hurried around the William Pitt Union’s Assembly Room, managing every aspect of the flurry of activity.

Everything was ready at 7 p.m., when the BAS hosted a show they titled “The Ten Commandments of Style,” with the participation of the Black Dance Workshop, the African Student Organization and the Caribbean and Latin American Student Organization.

Friday’s show contained more than just the exhibition of clothing. A variety of theatrical arts were on display, as the show merged fashion with dance, song, spoken word poetry and dramatic scenes.

The evening began with a performance by Knew2Life, a rap group who provided both entertainment and the opening announcements for the show. Following their act, the main event began.

With searchlights and the sound of police choppers filling the stage, performers in police uniforms searched for the thief who had stolen the 10 Commandments of Style.

This introduced the audience to the theme of the evening, as the models showcased 10 scenes featuring various moods, atmospheres and, of course, clothing styles. The styles ranged from business wear to black leather domination-wear, complete with men on leashes.

One of these scenes incorporated the more serious theme of spousal abuse, in a scene titled, “Commandment Seven: Thou shall know a woman’s worth.” While the models walked across the stage showing their clothes, the other side of the stage showed a woman struggling to leave her abusive husband. Through most of the scene, the models pointedly ignored her suffering and walked offstage. Finally, one of the models stopped to help the woman as she left her husband.

The scene tied in to the charitable cause of the event. A portion of the fashion show’s proceeds was donated to the Woman’s Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh, a home for abused women.

Clothes for the events were donated by a number of local clothing stores, including Avalon, Rainbow, Eye Urban Wear, and Hot Topic. Additionally, several scenes included clothes and styles designed by the models themselves based on articles of clothing they found at Goodwill. The show also included outfits designed by Elizabeth Bayne, a junior at Pitt, who made several ensembles from spare fabric.