The Bayanihan Student Organization is hosting its 23rd annual fashion show Nov. 23 in the Alumni Memorial Union ballrooms.
Raynne Belingon, a senior in the College of Health Sciences and president of BSO, said the organization is a way to celebrate Filipino culture.
“(Bayanihan) means coming together to achieve a goal,” Belingon said. “We all have different walks in life, different experiences within our own culture and we were able to come together.”
Alyssa Sugay, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences and one of the fashion show coordinators, said the fashion show is one of the biggest fundraising events run by a student organization on campus.
Sugay said this event that BSO has put on for more than two decades is a good way to build “cultural unity” among groups on campus.
The theme of the show is Baychella, which Sugay said was inspired by the famous music festival in Indio, California, known as Coachella. “Bay” comes from the first three letters of the word Bayanihan in BSO.
“We want this fashion show to be different and want it to feel alive (like) a music festival,” Sugay said.
The fashion show will consist of five student-choreographed dances, with five fashion segments: festival, formal, casual, sport and cultural.
The clothing is donated from stores around the area, including PINK and Love Your Melon. Some pieces will consist of clothing from the Marquette Spirit Shop. Allen Edmonds is also donating men’s formal wear and Bella Bridesmaids is donating women’s bridesmaid dresses.
In addition to BSO’s dances and fashion segments, throughout the show there will be performances from various groups around campus, including the Indian Student Association and the a cappella group The Naturals. Pre-show entertainment will include performances from Marquette’s chapter of fraternity Sigma Lambda Beta, campus Korean pop dance group Radiance and a singer from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Sugay said.
Each year, the fashion show picks a charity to donate to. This year, Sugay said the charity of choice is Teach for the Philippines, a nonprofit in metro Manila, the capital of the Philippines. All the money from ticket sales, five silent auction baskets and bracelets from Pura Vida will be donated to Teach for the Philippines.
Additionally, T-shirt design company South By The Sea will also sell T-shirts and donate 5% of the profits to the charity, Sugay said.
Michelle Batad, a sophomore in the College of Education, said the charity is a good way to raise money for children in the Philippines.
“Our goal is to raise money for kids in the Philippines so they can go on learning excursions and can connect their learning to their field trips,” Batad said.
Batad said she thinks the event is a great way for students in the Milwaukee community to learn more about Filipino culture and what the organization does.
Tickets are $11 and can be purchased in the AMU this week Monday and Wednesday from 1-4 p.m., and Tuesday and Thursday from noon to 4 p.m. Tickets will also be $13 at the door.
This story was written by Ariana Madson. She can be reached at [email protected].
