Last year, Precious Stones sold out their first annual plus-sized fashion show. This year, the organization hopes to bring out even more people and raise hundreds of dollars.
Precious Stones is an organization on campus whose purpose is to assist women with their self-esteem and confidence concerns by empowering them to focus on the great women they may not see themselves as, according to group member Alexis McCain.
“The models for this fashion show are all size 10 and up,” said McCain. “This is a way for plus-sized women on campus to feel empowered and beautiful.”
McCain will be attending her first Precious Stones fashion show this year.
“I have heard several stories about last year’s show, and it just sounded phenomenal,” she said. “I heard the energy level was just amazing, and I cannot wait to be a part of it this year and see how successful we are with the donations we receive this year.”
The fashion show will not take place until February 19, but there is much planning that goes into putting on the show, said McCain. Tryouts for models took place Oct. 17 through Oct. 19, but interested women still have time to get involved.
“We are always happy to have more girls come out and be a part of this amazing experience,” she said. “Plus, we don’t actually turn away any women from being a model in the show because that is not really what we’re here for. The tryouts are more of a critique session on how girls walk, et cetera.”
McCain said the organization is hoping to collaborate with Apparel Merchandising and Product Development majors, using them as stylists for the show, and with UAO.
“The stores that we were able to have sponsor us are Macy’s, Dillards, Buckle, Torrid, Cache, Hot Topic and H&M,” she said. “We also have the Bare Escentuals makeup company come and do the makeup for all of the models and a team of women from my mother’s hair salon, ‘R’Anthony’s’ in Dayton, will be coming to do the hair.”
The Precious Stones decided to keep the show plus-sized models only to keep the spotlight on the groups’ goal of empowering full-figured women.
Precious Stones executive board historian and model Carmen Campbell said she decided to be a part of Precious Stones after her experience as a model last year.
“I went into it and noticed other full-figured women that were shy, and not confident about their body and had low self-esteem, and after the show it was like a complete transformation in their attitude towards their body image,” Campbell said. “I felt very welcomed, and I loved that this organization made me feel confident in my inner and outer beauty. I cannot wait to see how we change the minds of other women’s negative body image during the show this year.”
Campbell said she is happy to be a part of a group and an event that has so many diverse people in it, especially because they are coming together for a common cause.
All the money donated at the fashion show goes to the Renfrew Center, an anorexia, bulimia and eating disorder treatment center and the first residential eating disorder treatment facility.
Vice President of Precious Stones Kiara Taylor said the organization chose this foundation because they believed out of all the other treatment centers in the country, this was the most special.
“The center actually has different residential facilities in the country where women can live while they are continuing their treatment for their eating disorder, rather than outpatient care or therapy,” she said. “Half our proceeds from the show go to this foundation.”
Taylor said the other benefit of having a foundation to raise money for during the fashion show is that stores the organization contacted are more willing to help out and sponsor the event, knowing they are not only helping women on campus to feel proud of who they are, but also because they know the proceeds will go toward a good cause.
