Nitzy Martinez, styled by Rue 21. Photo by Ellie Hawkins. 
Group photo of all models and Body Project members. Photo by Ellie Hawkins. 
Kity Sky Archambeau, styled by Hot Topic. Photo by Ellie Hawkins. 
Walter Zakahi, styled by That Guy’s Secret. Photo by Ellie Hawkins. 
Sydni Adams, styled by Rue 21. Photo by Ellie Hawkins. 
Nyla Larry, styled by Aeropostale. Photo by Ellie Hawkins. 
Natalie Marento, styled by Express. Photo by Ellie Hawkins. 
Nellie Mitchell, styled by Normandy’s. Photo by Ellie Hawkins. 
Gordon Petry, styled by That Guy’s Secret. Photo by Ellie Hawkins. 
Carmen Keist, styled by JCPenney. Photo by Ellie Hawkins. 
Nicolas Dominguez, styled by Buckle. Photo by Ellie Hawkins. 
Angeleen Hill, styled by Hot Topic. Photo by Ellie Hawkins.
With representation, comfort and personal expression in mind, Bradley’s group forum of The Body Project put on a fashion show titled the “The Real Me!” this past Saturday. The show was designed to challenge the fashion industry’s concept of the ideal body,
Students Clara Lawson and Autumn Brown, along with professor and coordinator of The Body Project Danielle Glassmeyer, put together a show of 25 students, faculty members and mall employees, all dressed in clothes from eight different retailers at Northwoods Mall that made them feel comfortable and attractive. Hot Topic, Express, JCPenney, That Guy’s Secret, Rue 21, Normandy’s, Aeropostale and Buckle all provided clothing for the event.
Lawson, a junior apparel production and merchandising major, had been thinking about this show since her freshman year when a similar concept was canceled due to the pandemic.
Once it became safe to put on such an event, Lawson got the ball rolling by pulling together retailers from the mall to provide the clothes and finding a diverse set of models that aligned with the message of the event. The models got together the week prior to the event and were allowed to either pick out an outfit from anything in the store or pick from selections the retailer offered.
“I love everything about fashion … but I also understand that the fashion industry isn’t fair at all, and I [want] to be a part of the change in creating a more diverse fashion industry,” Lawson said about her desire to make the show happen. “People are not represented well at all, so that’s why we wanted to have a diverse array of people.”
As people walked the runway on the first level of the mall, Lawson read a short biography of the model, described their look and gave each person’s reason for participating. The crowd, formed on all sides of the runway and in the balcony above, cheered and encouraged each pose and strut, producing a big smile from many of the models.
Glassmeyer, an associate professor in the English department, noted the relevance of the fashion show to the overall mission of The Body Project. Although the club focuses mainly on challenging eating disorders, she said it’s important to recognize how the fashion industry can influence such phenomena.
“For many, many years, [the industry has] fueled [eating disorders] by repeatedly showing models who are impossibly thin,” Glassmeyer said. “They haven’t shown the diversity of America.”
“The Real Me!” featured people with disabilities, non-binary and transgender people, people above the age of 50, queer people and a variety of different races, ethnicities and sizes.
“That’s what The Body Project is about: promoting acceptance of the body in all of its shapes and sizes and colors and gender expressions,” Glassmeyer said. “And then little girls and little boys that are in the audience are gonna say, ‘I can be beautiful. I can look great.’”
Nyla Larry, a sophomore psychology major and model in the show, participated because she liked the message and wanted to get more involved.
“I have always really really liked initiatives on campus that involve diversity and inclusion,” Larry said. “It made sense to get involved in another initiative that’s more revolving around inclusivity and body positivity.”
