Sorority Brings Fashion To The Valley

(Poughkeepsie) - Models from all over the country sashayed down the runway in the auditorium of the Poughkeepsie High School for the 49th Annual Ebony Fashion Fair. This high fashion event, sponsored by the Iota Alpha Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. was held on Wednesday, September 27.

The theme for this year's fashion show was "Stylishly Hot" and was produced by Eunice W. Johnson, widow of Ebony magazine founder John H. Johnson.

The fashion Poughkeepsie show was sponsored by the local chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha to raise funds for the Alpha Kappa Alpha Community Scholarship Fund. The chairperson for this show was Alpha Kappa Alpha's Nyhisha Gibbs.

Prior to the evening's fashion extravaganza, the multi-talented commentator/spokesmodel Jada Collins met with the media to discuss this year's fashion trends. "This year is all about what's hot!," exclaimed Collins. "It's fashion that sizzles, with bright color, but more reasonable to wear." With a list that reads like a who's who in the fashion world, (Bill Blass, Bob Mackie, Oscar de la Renta, Gianni Calignano, Punto, Chloe, Pierre Cardin, Emilio de la Morena, and Wayne James) this years show featured top designers from America, Italy, France, Britain, Jamaica, and Canada, to name a few.

This year Ebony Fashion Fair showcased the elegance and glamore that have elevated it to the level of being the world's premier traveling fashion show. As has been the case in previous years, the show again featured a unique display of cutting-edge attire for women and men. According to producer/director Eunice Johnson this year's fashions are more than just fashion-forward and trend setting. They're hot...stylishly hot!

Fashions from Italian designer Angelo Marani ignited the fire for a "Stylishly Hot" fashion with a flame-embellished trumpet gown and matching flame ombre fox cape that scorched the haute couture runway with sizzling flames printed on the luxurious fabric.
The French couture house of Jean Louis Scherrer turned the fashion flames up with a sexy, red-hot decollete neckline jumpsuit adorned with a plush fox swing coat dyed the same "stylishly hot" shade of red.

But when the fiery hot Italian fashions simmered, American designers filled the runways with an array of "stylishly hot" designers that once again projected the color black to be the hottest and most stylish color to wear from early morning to well past midnight.

Although black dominated the color palette, it was the attention that designers gave to hot and stylish details that dominated the fashion buzz from Paris to London to New York to Milan. According to Johnson this year, "a good sense of style along with the know-how to look hot is of great value this fashion season, and is especially needed to enlived this season's dark tailored suits, little black dresses and ebony-hued evening attire."

Pictured above: Ebony models show off this years "Stylishly Hot" fashions during the Annual Ebony Fashion Fair. The above individuals make there way down the cat walk enjoying their time at the event.

Pictured to the Right: The 49th Ebony Fashion Fair was sponsored by the ladied of the Iota Alpha Omega chapter of the Alpha Kapa Alpha Sorority, Inc.